NIGHTSHIFT 28: BUS 1

[byname_bynature]

Artemis had always been skeptical as to whether or not the things present in the Institute actually turned into their nightly counterparts. He'd never seen a kitten turn into a rotting cat, or a nurse turn into a syringe-covered monstrosity. Now he had, and he was very sorry that he'd seen it up close and personal. It'd been difficult to keep

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[ol_canucklehead]

The bus pulled to a halt as Logan awaited Ami's next response, but it never came before the last light faded from the sky. He fell silent as the feeling washed over him. The animal within knew this sensation far too well. Anticipation. Something coming. He took in the bus with slow, sweeping gaze, hands tightening, muscles bunching. The wound in his leg throbbed lightly, but he was hoping it would be strong enough for whatever was about to happen.

Logan had already changed his breathing pattern to one more suited to fighting,and mentally began clearing his mind and focusing on his senses. He knew something was up, but had no idea what.

And then it came, a twisting, warping of the vision, and all hell broke loose. His eyes widened as the first of the nurses began to writhe and change, and the others quickly followed suit. Jus' like tha Brood, his mind growled. So that was how it happened. There was no more time to sit around gawking, there was only time to act. His mind raced as he took in the scenario, and his eyes focused first on

[ol_canucklehead]

It's weakenin', I c'n feel it. Logan was still surprisingly composed considering the battering he'd taken. But now was the time to end this, if he could. There were scant few patients left on the bus now, and he was determined to make sure they all got off safely.

Bringing his left arm around in an attempt to hold off blows from both his assailant's limbs (something which didn't quite work as the orderly managed to get another gut-punch in), Logan cocked his right arm, and, flattening and straightening his fingers, drove a fingertip knife strike towards the thing's throat with all the strength he had left.

If it connected, it would undoubtedly crush its windpipe, asphyxiating it in a matter of moments. Tha's if it even needs oxygen ta live, he thought ruefully, just before bringing his arm down.

[no_side_effects]

Claire had hers taken care of, but Logan was still struggling with the orderly. Wesker jumped back onto the seat he had been standing on before before jumping again.

The berserker was already attacking the things throat, which had been Wesker's intended target, so he changed so he would land with his heel coming down onto the deformed head instead, eyes glowing slightly from behind his sunglasses.

[claire_ity]

Uh. Whoops.

Claire wasn't sure what kind of gas was coming out of that nurse, but it wasn't good. It would probably harm the others on the bus if she didn't deal with it soon. The nurse wouldn't spew gas if it was dead, right?

Well, she wasn't sure how creepy undead nurse anatomy worked. But what Claire did know something about was breaking bones.

Quickly pulling the sweater over her nose as she moved closer, Claire took advantage of the creature's pain and reached for its head with every intention of snapping the neck. She had to do this fast. The sweater was hardly a decent cover for the gas that was coming out of the nurse, and Claire didn't want to breathe any more of it in than she had to. She was already feeling slightly ill.

[damned_nurses]

With those final attacks, it was over. Bones crunched and snapped, veins erupted and the life force bled out of the monstrous creatures that had just earlier been nurses and orderlies.

The gas was still seeping from the one nurse, but slowing now, and beginning to disperse.

[ol_canucklehead]

Logan would probably never know what had been the clincher in finishing off the monstrosity that now lay in a broken heap beneath him; his strike, or the timely addition of Wesker's boot. It didn't matter in any event, it only mattered that it was over, at least momentarily

[no_side_effects]

The question about Wesker being okay reminded him that he was in fact injured. He paused to glance down at his leg. The cuts were noticeably smaller already than they should have been, judging by the blood and the cuts in his pants, but they were still closing slowly.

Out of the three of them, the short, hairy man seemed to be the worst off after the battle. If he had taken one of the nurses instead Wesker could have handled the tougher orderly from the beginning, but he probably thought he had been helping by keeping the most difficult opponent occupied.

"I'll be fine," Wesker noticed that Claire appeared to be quite bloody as well. He moved over to check out the cuts on his face, grabbing her chin and tilting her face towards him so he could examine them. Nothing serious, they would likely heal very quickly.

"You should be much more careful about blocking attacks to your head and neck," Even if she could regenerate, if her neck or head were damaged the wounds would leave her incapacitated and heal slowly.

[claire_ity]

The adrenaline rush gone, Claire fully realized the extent of her injuries. Feeling a little weak in the knees, she allowed Wesker to examine her. What was he saying? Something about her face?

Her stomach lurched and she pushed past him in the dark, bending over an empty seat and retching. Steadying herself, Claire wiped her mouth and turned back around, still shaking slightly.

"The gas was worse," she mumbled, peering around in the dark. Who started the fire? The smell of rotten flesh burning wasn't making her feel any better.

[ol_canucklehead]

Tha's...kinda odd. Logan thought as he watched the paternal way in which Wesker examined Claire. Especially since their scents didn't match; he was sure they weren't related. He shrugged mentally. People had a way of becoming affectionate in unusual ways when thrown in together in times of crisis. Perhaps they had fostered a faux parent-child relationship to help them get through this mess. He'd done that himself, more than once.

He wrinkled his nose slightly as the girl retched. She looked in pretty bad shape. Girl tha' young shudn't be in tha thick o' tha fightin' was his first thought, but he corrected himself; he'd known others just as young or perhaps younger who'd been bloodied in battle. And perhaps she, like himself, had an edge, but one that wasn't as clear as his own.

He addressed the pair of them, not caring that he might be interrupting. This was still a battleground, and no place for tender moments. "You two need any help? We gotta get off this bus 'fore tha' flame hits tha' fuel tank an' turns us inta a patien'

[no_side_effects]

Wesker frowned as claire vomited, the smell of the gas was bad, but Wesker had dealt with scents that were just as bad, if not worse. She did not look like she would be up for much more fighting until her regeneration had a chance to restore her, even then Wesker wondered if she would be too tired to be useful.

"It isn't anything we can't handle," Wesker said, grabbing Claire, she hadn't seemed entirely responsive when he'd been examining her. But they did need to get off the burning bus, "Come on, Claire, we need to get off the bus. Fresh air will make you feel better."

Claire did have a tendency to try to play hero, but Wesker doubted she was in any condition to protest being taken off the bus, so he guided her out the back emergency exit.

[[Taking claire here]]

[ol_canucklehead]

Huh. Yer welcome. Logan cast thoughts of those two aside, the man at least seemed pretty cold in his eyes, or at least very disinterested in anyone other than the girl. Although he did help to finish off the orderly, so Logan supposed he should be grateful for at least that.

Ami and the two men she was with seemed to be heading for the jagged hole torn in the side of the bus (how did that happen?!?) and the fight at the front was over too, although parts of the upholstery continued to smoulder. Well, ain' no poin' hangin' roun' here much longer. With a last sweeping gaze of the carnage before him, Logan took off through the open emergency exit.

[Heading out to here.]

[icy_pole]

[Dropping down to here]