Night 59: Bus Unloading Area

[hes_deadjim]

[from here]

McCoy tsked but stepped back just in case so Spock could do his thing. Lord, Spock was strong. He took the door down as if he was knocking a fly away and with about as much effort too. Seeing Spock nearly go through the door, taken by surprise by his own strength and without quite the same Vulcan grace, washed away the brief uneasiness.

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[scarefaux]

[From here]

The Scarecrow recognized the area from the trips to town, though the dim illumination of the moon gave the space a very different feel. His arms pulled themselves around him to protect him from the chill of the night as he listened- no sounds of click-clickers, though he thought he heard something above them. Perhaps a bird, he thought. Nothing too frightening. He was human now, and was sure he'd have a lot more luck scaring crows as one than he ever had as a scarecrow.

He peered through the doorway again, motioning for Seishin to follow. "I've never been out this way at night," he admitted, pushing a foot into the snow. Thankfully, he'd thought to keep his boots on that night.

[unpriest]

Seishin felt the cool night air as he followed the other man outside, and he couldn't entirely suppress the shudder that resulted from the drop in temperature. At least the night air appeared to be void of the rot and decay that had plagued the institute's interior, which was a relief

[scarefaux]

"Go back inside?" the Scarecrow questioned automatically. As with every time he'd stepped outside into the snow, he'd found himself transfixed by the sight, the white coating on the ground giving the landscape before them a pristine look, one that didn't at all reflect the dangers that lurked on the building's grounds

[unpriest]

Westerning-san appeared to be distracted, but before Seishin could say anything else one of the birds had already swooped down on the other man. The former priest let out a gasp, not having expected it to attack so quickly. The bird was gigantic, about twice the size of a fully grown man. They somewhat resembled eagles, though no eagle should have been as large. Its ragged feathers were a sickish grey colour -- the creature looked as though it was dead. Though it had mostly missed its target, Seishin could only watch as its silver talons cut into the other man's arm like a razor. It let out a cry as it recovered its bearings, flapping its strong wings dangerously

[scarefaux]

One of the birds saw fit to attack Seishin, its talons sinking their way into him like a stake pressed into soft ground. The severity of injuries were lost to someone like the Scarecrow, a man who had only a few weeks worth of knowledge on what it was like to be human; however, with what he'd been told, the body could only take so much before it gave out. He supposed the blood trailing down his arm and Seishin's chest were much like straw that had filled his former frame- without the stuffing, the body didn't function.

That thought in mind, he knew he had to do something. He was no fighter, but he had his moments where necessity overpowered that vague sense of self-preservation he had growing in him due to his experiences as a human. His new friend was in trouble- that was all he needed to know.

As he'd done with the Mangled Witch, he wielded his flashlight as an improvised weapon, giving as strong a swing as he could manage at the bird. "Shoo! Go on!"

[unpriest]

Blood ran from the fresh injuries, but with the large eagle-like bird on top of him, with the pain in his chest and shoulders the sharp talons created, it hardly registered. The creature didn't quite intend to let him go, wanting nothing more than a taste of its newly caught prey. It hadn't payed any attention to its surroundings, however, not having expected the second man to try and attack him. The flashlight connected, but considering its might it hardly did any damage.

Seishin, too, couldn't have predicted Westerning-san to try and help him like that. However, it was already too late to tell the other man to get back inside, to not dwindle for his sake. The bird flapped its wings in response, its deadly beak gleaming dangerously as the creature snapped it into the man's direction, trying to get a bite.

As distracted as the bird was, it allowed the former priest to regain his bearings. Tightening his hold on the hatchet, Seishin swung the weapon at the monster as hard as his weakened limbs possibly could.

[scarefaux]

Though his own flashlight had merely knocked the bird around with a dulled thwump, causing him to strike back with his beak, Seishin's hatchet was far more effective on its decaying body; the sharp wedge embedded itself into the creature, blackened blood pouring from the wound as it was knocked to the ground. Once there, it struggled to rise to its feet again, turning and writhing as it flapped its wings and struck out at the men around it.

It nearly nipped the Scarecrow, who'd found himself frozen, watching the bird turn in the tainted snow below it. He leapt backward, still staring with an unsure look. They'd brought it down, but what was he to do then?

[unpriest]

The blow connected, the hatchet's wedge embedding itself in the bird's skin. Blood began pouring out if its body, the creature half-falling, half-retreating to the ground beside him, twisting and turning into the snow in pain.

Finally released from the creature's grasp, Seishin sat up only to be quite nearly struck by the bird's wings. He had little choice but to move backwards, out of its reach. Seishin frowned, watching the bird twist with mixed feelings. Should he leave it like this? It was impossible to get near it without being struck with its wings, in any case.

As distracted as they had been with that single creature, the first bird didn't quite abandon his attempt to feast on their flesh. It had taken the opportunity to go back to the skies, circling above them.

[scarefaux]

The Scarecrow snapped out of his trance, looking to the sky above them, where the first bird had taken to circling again. He wasn't sure what was to be done with the bird they had managed to knock to the ground, but he knew one fact was clearer with every injury their bodies sustained: they needed to get to safety.

He looked to the nearby trees- while they did grant some protection, they'd still be outside, in the cold, and at the mercy of any other beasts Landel may have released out there. Who knew what lions, tigers, and bears looked like when under Wizard Landel's control? The other option was to return to the building- it was a farther run, and they'd be back in the room where he'd seen the Burning Man, but it seemed like the safer bet of the two.

He nodded to himself, running to Seishin's side. Putting his hands under Seishin's arms, he attempted to hoist the other man to his feet as best he could. "Come on! We have to get out of here!"