"They're just teeth and digestive tract."

[more_surreal]

WHO: Calvin and OPEN
WHERE: Near one of the City's library branches
WHEN: Wednesday afternoon, after school
WARNINGS: Pigeon and rat-related horrors
SUMMARY: Calvin's trip to the library is interrupted by swarms of homicidal vermin. Someone save him.
FORMAT: Quicklog! Calvin will be getting into trouble repeatedly, so multiple threads of multiple

Comments

[free_dumb_ring]

[A figure in pink and black comes in for a landing in front of Calvin and lifts a hand as the jetpack he was wearing vanishes.] Hold on there, kid. Get behind me. I'll handle this. It's Freedom Ring by the way.

[Freedom Ring concentrates and forms a rather large net in the air for all the pigeons to run into.]

[more_surreal]

THANK YOU FREEDOM RING!

[Calvin bolts behind the superhero and clings rather desperately to his leg, watching wide-eyed as he creates a net out of seeming nothingness. The boy's pursuers fall to the ground in a tangled, fluttering heap.]

Wow! How did you do that?

[free_dumb_ring]

[Freedom Ring smirks as the birds are caught. He looks down at Calvin with an amused smirk.] I'm just that awesome, little man. You gonna be okay?

[He pauses a moment.] You know you probably shouldn't be out here on your own with all the rats and stuff goin' crazy...

[more_surreal]

I'm fine! I just wanted to get a book, that's all. I didn't know this many birds had turned evil!

[Calvin looks up at Freedom Ring for a moment before an idea strikes him]

Hey, I know! Why don't you just protect me until I get to the library? You can be my bodyguard!

[more_surreal]

Lyra!

[Calvin immediately focuses on what's important in this situation]

Wow, nice costume.

[more_surreal]

Yipe! [Calvin ducks]

I just wanted to visit the library! I didn't know it would be this bad!

I thought he might like this.

[pacifisted]

[It's the Mayor's fault, really. He's been feeling the need to get lost in the mindlessness that can come with a battle, and having an excuse to take out a threat--even if it IS from a bunch of animals--is something, even if it's not much. He'd rather be taking on the robot guy that talked about being their king, but without any intelligence on where to even begin looking, well, he had to do what he could in the meantime.]

[So, Calvin. How would you like to be rescued by the truck-sized, overly-fanged, prehistoric monstrosity barreling up the street after a swarm of rodents? He's no tiger, but you can imagine stripes on him if you want.]

You thought correctly!

[more_surreal]

[An enormous feline carnivore from the darkest nightmares of the ancient past! He's saved! Calvin runs heedlessly towards the gigantic cat and its prey, the pigeons hot on his heels.]

HEY! Big furry guy! I hope you're hungry, because I've got a whole buffet right behind me!

[Only when he's close to the big mass of claws and teeth does it occur to Calvin that he might count as edible too. Too late now!]

Eeeexcellent.

[pacifisted]

[Trowa looks up from the seven or eight rats he's just sent hurtling into a wall with the backhanded sweep of one paw, ignoring their impromptu flight in favor of the realization that he's on a direct collision course with a six-year-old boy. Then he's in the air in a panic, sailing over Calvin's head.]

[Several car alarms go off when he lands, snarling and shaking his head to rid himself of a mouthful of dead pigeon. He stands sideways in front of the boy, hissing and slashing at the air with his claws--Calvin is a bright, unspoiled spark of life in a dark city full of bitter people. Trowa has to protect him.]

[more_surreal]

Whoah.

[Calvin was hoping for help, but this is like watching a hurricane! A furry hurricane. He cowers behind the big cat, partly for safety and partly to keep from getting any julienned pigeon parts on him.]

[chasingspooks]

[No good stupid rats. Probably plotting evil to take over the world, like back in Burden Hill. And getting help from those dumb pigeons too. Just his luck, some killer computer drops him in the worst City, and then the rats form some kind of uprising. What ever happened to the good ole days of just sleeping and eating, and not being attacked by the paranormal.

And oh what luck he has. Running into that werewolf kid being swarmed by birds.]

[more_surreal]

[Calvin's eyes widen with horror when he sees the adorable little pug in his path. And oh what luck he has, running into that dog that wants to kill him with silver while being swarmed by birds.

Caught between two sources of imminent doom, Calvin settles for screaming, panicking, and diving beneath a car in the hopes that the pigeons and the pug will distract go after each other instead of him.]

[chasingspooks]

[The kid diving under a car was certainly a new thing. He was a werewolf, so shouldn't he have a little more backbone than that? Pugs grunted, his attention turning to the birds. He barked and growled, jumping at any that came near. Chasing birds was a very easy dog thing, and hopefully they wouldn't get the idea to swarm him.]

What are you doin', kid?!

[He calls out inbetween barks, glancing to the car for only a moment.]

[more_surreal]

[Calvin yells out from beneath the car.]

Hiding from you! And the birds!

[He wonders how the dog is going to kill him. Is there a way for pugs to shoot silver bullets? He decides that he doesn't want to find out.]

Please don't kill me! I didn't ask to be a werewolf! I don't want to be one!

[outspeeds]

[ Sees Calvin! Sees him run! Bart matches his speed and runs alongside him. ]

Hey, you're that -- Um, don't think I caught your name.

[ Then he sees the rabid pigeons and rats that are hot on their tail. ]

But now's probably not a good time, huh?

[ Don't blink, Calvin! Did you blink? Because if you did, you'll find yourself in an alley five blocks from where you were previously. ]

[more_surreal]

I'm Cal-

[Suddenly, alley! Calvin turns around, dizzy and confused.]

-vin. Impulse? What the heck just happened? Did you save me?

[outspeeds]

Yep. [ He leans against the wall and peers over the edge as the rampaging birds and rats ... rampage past them. Then, after remembering a previous experience, his smile ... drops. ]

You're not mad, are you?

[ The last person he saved in these alleys chewed him out for it! Sigh, life. ]

[more_surreal]

Heck no! [A little embarrassed that he had to be saved, but it's better than being pigeon chow] Why would anyone be mad?