Nightshift 33: Walk-In Refrigerator

[arrogantflame]

[From here]It was cold. But for once, it wasn't the first thought that crossed Wolfram's mind as he was practically thrown into the giant cooler. He was more worried about his eyes than anything. It still hurt to open them, and when he tried nothing would focus anyways. And he could still hear what was going on in the kitchen behind him

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[i_slay_giants]

[From here]

The Fable stumbled over the threshold, eventually face planting onto the cold floor. Despite his physical injuries, he quickly pushed himself upright in an attempt to save a little bit of pride. Quickly, however, he realized that the other inhabitant currently couldn't see him, so it wasn't nearly as important to look cool.

"Ow," he stated dryly after a moment.

[blood_and_pocky]

[continuing to cockblock the alien from here]

Of course the other two would be useless in helping keeping the thing out. Once it pulled out of the nearly unsalvageable wedge it'd made, Aidou slammed the door with a deafening bang, holding it closed against the angry onslaught. The pounding and gurgling hisses were far too near for his liking, though the vampire had to think the worst was over. Unless it was smart enough to try and reopen the door from the outside.

He stayed where he was, continuing to hold the door shut with what strength was left in his tiring body. 'Tired' was an understatement. Despite the temperature of the fridge, sweat was beading on the back of his neck.

Relying so much on his ice... Aidou's sigh was more weary than relieved.

That'd been far too close.

[silent_predator]

Immediately, there were several loud bangs of the door being struck, followed by more hissing. There was a screech of metal, as talons and the tail blade struck the otherside of the door.

It was a futile effort: the door shuddered but didn't give. After several more pounds, the was silence.

[silent_predator]

[back to here]

[spirit_forge]

[from here]

There was no one here; that was good. Archer was feeling bad about earlier... well actually not really, but Brook could use something to eat. Plus, Archer himself as a heroic spirit needed to keep his mana reserves up. Without Gaia, he'd have to rely on alternative sources. He'd never developed a taste for devouring people's souls, so that was out of the question.

He picked up some ham, juice, milk, and fruit. Hopefully the fruits and juices would keep longer than the others.

[to here]

[fuyunohanabi]

[From here]

Rangiku moved quickly into the refrigerator and grabbed hold of the door, starting to tug on it. She doubted that that creature was going to be stunned for very long at all and she doubted that she had it in her to fire another blast at it without knocking herself out.

[traitors_smile]

Gin wasn't taking any chances. As soon as Rangiku was inside, he was pulling too; there was only so much time before the monster tried again. His back left a bloody smear where he'd been leaning on the door, but he hardly felt it. Using what leverage he could to keep it shut, he turned to Ran.

"I'll hold it. Find th' next door," he said hurriedly, almost a command. She'd been here before, she, at least, knew where to look.

[fuyunohanabi]

Rangiku gasped in relief when the door swung closed, but like Gin, she wasn't about to trust to its integrity for very long. She headed over to the back corner of the fridge, searching quickly in the darkness for the discoloured tile which hid the trap door. She found it after a moment, and slipped her fingers awkwardly into the crack, pulling it up and moving it aside. "Gin! Get down there. There's a long staircase so be careful, but we can stop a little way down." SHe'd close the tile and she didn't think the monster would be able to get it up very easily.

[traitors_smile]

He had to wonder how exactly the institute managed to have so many deadly creatures and still be up and running in the morning just like always. Even Aizen would be impressed by their efficiency, if nothing else. Though the recent radio broadcasts would prove otherwise. It sounded like the power was shifting.

At any rate, it didn't take him long to press off from the wall and jump down the hole in the floor. He landed easily enough, despite the stairs. That made only one new injury for the night. He supposed it could have been worse.

[[to here]]

[wishescankill]

[from here]

Anya collapsed as soon as she had the door open, finding it necessary to take a moment to bleed in relative peace.

Sheer adrenaline had kept her going, but now that she had a second or two with just the perishable foodstuffs, she found her energy ebbing away. Her skin shifted back to human form, which irked all the burned out nerve endings in her back, not to mention the chunk that was missing from her side. Normally she'd be healed already, but everything sucked in this dimension.

Slowly, she raised her head to see if Willow and Angel - oh, and that monster - had followed her through.

[light_wicca]

[from here]

"Anya?" Willow asked tentatively, still with both hands on the edge of the door to keep it open for Angel. One hand might normally have worked, but Willow was too weak from the spell to manage that. It scared her a little bit how much that simple spell had drained of her energy.

Willow wanted to go straight over to Anya's side and help stem any bleeding as quickly as possible, but she also needed to help Angel get in the room quickly and shut the monster out behind him. She bit her lip, torn between the two, and just hoping the monster wouldn't try to follow them into the basement.

[blurred_divide]

Angel remained out just long enough for Willow to get through safely first. He dove inside a split second behind her and shut the door, although he had no idea if he'd be quick enough or not; whatever that thing was, it moved surprisingly fast. He nodded at Willow, indicating that she could go help Anya while he...watched the front and hoped nothing broke through. His fingers curled around the handle of the axe. Skuld was a rare stroke of luck, to be sure.

They couldn't stay here forever, though. Big monster aside, they were inside a fridge. He lacked the body temperature to properly feel the cold, but Willow and Anya were a different story.

"We need to find the way down," he said. He'd look for it himself except he didn't want to take his eyes off the entrance just yet.

[wishescankill]

Anya pushed herself rather painfully into a sitting position. Her back was almost completely numb, especially in such a cold place, but her side hurt like hell.

"Why'd it attack me?" she groused, picking up her sword from where she'd dropped it. A speck of the acid blood had clung to the metal, but no real damage done. She brushed it off with a nearby wedge of cheese, and it began eating its way through that. "Angel looks decidedly more threatening."

When the vampire in question spoke, Anya tried to recall exactly what her roommate had told her. "The entrance is under an off-color tile. Somewhere back there, I think," she informed the others, gesturing vaguely towards the back of the room.

[jurisfictional]

[from here]

Thursday closed the door as soon as Archer and Hokuto were in, pausing for one heart-stopping moment before she remembered to breathe. It didn't sound like the creature was going to follow them this time.

"Everyone okay?" she asked a little shakily. It was an incredibly stupid question, and she realized it as soon as the words left her mouth, but maybe a little semblance of normality might help things along.

[akarusa]

Somehow, Hokuto managed to reply "Yeah," and even that sounded strained. Her breathing was coming harder than it should have; it wasn't exhaustion, but stress. It won't follow us, she said silently, still trembling, and not from the cold; she'd barely noticed it, and not because of the jacket she was wearing. It can't get us now. She knew it, but she was still trying desperately to convince herself. We got away.

But Hisoka...

Her chest tightened even more; as much as she wanted to, she couldn't stop picturing what had happened to him. Hisoka... They'd arrived long after he was already dead--she knew that. There was nothing they or anyone else could have done for him; she had little doubt he'd been alone when it happened. He died alone. No one there for him, and the thing that killed him didn't stop attacking until after he was...Hokuto swallowed hard, but the bile was rising in her throat and she couldn't hold it back. She stumbled away, wishing the others would leave her alone for a minute and knowing they wouldn't, and threw up.

[spirit_forge]

Leaning his back against the wall, Archer began controlling his breathing, using exercises he'd learnt from his martial arts training. After a while, calming his body became simple a reflex. Hopefully that bastard can't get to us in here. It would be really bad if he tears through that door now."I'm fine." Archer winced from the cut on his hand, nothing that would impede his performance tonight. Ripping a piece of cloth from his uniform, he wrapped a makeshift bandage around his wound

[jurisfictional]

Thursday nodded as Archer walked over to comfort Hokuto. She couldn't blame the girl in the slightest - somewhere in the back of her mind, something was still panicking at the sight of the boy's body.

That kid was Friday's age, it whispered, and she clenched her fist involuntarily. So is this girl. What the hell does Landel think he's doing? I'll fucking tear him apart as soon as he dares show his pathetic face. She'd killed plenty of times and seen her friends killed in grislier ways than this, but at least the feeling of rage welling up hadn't yet been dulled.

Part of her - oh, all right, all of her - wanted to run over and give Hokuto a hug, but she knew enough to give her some space. "Same here. I threw up all over my uniform," she said dryly, backing up Archer's comments. "You have no idea how much trouble I got in."