|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Tue Nov 27, 2012 7:32 pm
Clerise watched Robert fall, her eyes cool, a little vacant, lips twisting into an inscrutable expression. They had survived an apocalypse for this? She had been without a weapon before. For months, in fact. Balthazar was a presence in her heart and mind like never before. Gale had stood for Eva. Dakota was doing something else, now, yelling and-- The redhead stood, calmly, her voice flat as she said: "I take Dakota's punishment." You protect those that are close to you.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Nov 27, 2012 7:36 pm
"Fine. You ******** zombie. I'll take Deryk's place." He said simply and firmly.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Nov 27, 2012 7:36 pm
Ofelia raised her hand, kinda pissed her cookies missed. "Ah'm up fer Deryk, seein' as well. . . .he's kinda one of my few friends here that Ah'd miss." Inside her head Rue screamed with either...delight? Unhappiness? It was so hard to tell, so hard to tell. "Plus Ah'm a Sun - our life expectancy is short anyway."
Dakota might have gotten a thumbs up from Ofelia for punching Rep. Maybe. Or else she was twitching. She got to her feet and looked over at the blonde death hunter. "Jus' smile more, kay?"
Someone else had stepped up to take Deryk's place as well, so. . . .maybe he'd get lucky? Or who else was there? She was running the list of names in her head.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Nov 27, 2012 7:37 pm
Rep wasn't expecting Dakota to hit him, so he didn't even move to defend himself. The blow landed squarely on his nose, the bridge of which was a pre-island weakness he'd carried over, something even Tracey couldn't mend. Shield or no shield it was the most blinding sort of pain and for once in his life, he couldn't even speak as he moved his hands to his face to try and rub the shocked pain of mended injury away enough to breathe, see or think, hissing curses as he did so.
He was left panting and startled, simply laughing breathlessly, smirking through the pain at Dakota. He was on best behaviour, he let the man's actions speak for themselves.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Nov 27, 2012 7:37 pm
If Robert had been conscious any longer, he would have finally agreed with Cael's punishment. Knocking him down to teach the rest of the group to shut up could have worked.. if he hadn't just ordered so many of them to their death already. What could he expect? The room was bound to erupt into chaos, and maybe Cael would sit there and knock each of them out, one by one, until the few that agreed with him were left behind.
Or maybe he'd learn his lesson and learn to be a better leader, and less of a pawn to his own twisted sensibilities.
And her.
None of that was Robert's problem, anymore. He was out like a light, bleeding on the floor, and probably the safest of everyone in the room, because he could no longer raise his voice against Caelius' tyranny.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Nov 27, 2012 7:39 pm
Jeremy had been doing a pretty good job of pretending to be furniture when it came to these meetings. He wasn't yet ready to try and stand out, or make himself known, or go re-introduce himself to the people he had fought with and against during his first year or so on the island. This meeting though, the sudden promise of execution...it was enough to make him want to call out; he didn't act on it, at least not at first. Instead he grit his teeth, clenched his fists and tried to stay as far away from it as he could.
Then a name was called. One name, and every single last resolve to stay put were all but thrown out the window. The tanned trainee, still somewhat fresh from his re-awakening, stood up so fast his chair crashed to the ground behind him.
"I'LL TAKE ARIANE'S PLACE!" He nearly yelled, clearly speaking much louder than he intended. Ariane was the only thing he had left, really; the thought of losing her without trying to stop it was too much for him to think about, and so he had done what a sun did best, and threw himself in the line of fire, so to speak.
He volunteered as tribute.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Nov 27, 2012 7:40 pm
Hesitant silence as Wilson turned in his report and eyed Caelius carefully. His jaw clenched when he heard the names, but said nothing more. As soon as he heard his name, his shoulders relaxed and he let out a quiet sigh. He had seen it coming the moment he saw Caelius. The consequences hardly surprised him. The hunter covered his face with his hands as soon as the screaming inside his head intensified. [Kiddo, why? WHYWHYWHYWHYWHY—] Sh…
He smiled softly at Robert, but it quickly went away as he watched the Life hunter topple to the floor. You tried, Robert. The invisible weight on his shoulders seemed to lighten as others stepped forward to take someone else’s place, but he still wanted to shake his head. Tell them no, no don’t do this. It’s okay. Shhhh, it’s okay.
Wilson blinked, shook his head. He walked slowly to the back to try to attract less attention. No one should take his place. No one. He would never let anyone give themselves up for his 'mistake.' Wilson looked around the room for Kat and Ryan, his eyes filled with worry.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Nov 27, 2012 7:41 pm
Cass said nothing, trying to contain the turmoil that was knotting up her guts as she got up and started to move around the table towards where Robert had gone down. To hell if he wanted her dead. She was at least going to make sure he had a pulse.
Because it was boo on her if she let her fear of him get in her way of actually taking care of her comrades. Sure she hadn't thrown herself on the guillotine for someone else, but...she didn't even know what order had been broken, and every question in her head was mottling her ability to make more than one decision at a time.
And that was how Cass ended up sitting on the floor next to Robert to make sure Caelius hadn't broken his neck, giving him a careful look over.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Nov 27, 2012 7:42 pm
Melvin's eyes went large before he rose up. Like hell he was living in a place that allowed a man to rule them who was all for killing people for a whim, for an "example." Seeing as there was no longer people in charge, it seemed this man was stepping in to be all commanding ruler.
"How does a moment of confusion in battle mean death just by your decision? There was a mass of confusion during that battle with Insanity, trances, and delayed orders." Yes, he was going to point out that Caelius was the one leading them after all.
To Rep, he glanced to him. "This wasn't Life's fault, Jerry. We were only sent to observe and it's not like our division just pops out new advances every day." He didn't even want to hear the Sun tossing blame on his division when he knew nothing about how it worked.
How were these guys just backing this guy up? He was off his rocker! "The fact you will allow other hunters to take their place means you don't even care who is killed in the end." That wasn't making an example on the person if he allowed that sort of chance for a replacement. It was some weird, sick game. You didn't send people to death row before asking their loved ones if they wanted to tag in. "What's keeping you from killing all of us whenever you feel then?" He didn't get how he was here and being lead by a man who was okay with just killing 4 people without some sort of court system or way to defend themselves and the situation they were in.
To more volunteers, he just looked at them. "Don't entertain him! This is inhuman!" Everyone Else He's addressing everyone at the table.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Nov 27, 2012 7:43 pm
Eva couldn't claim to be surprised. She came into this room knowing that punishment for her actions would probably be imminent, and the thought had crossed her mind even as she wrote Ryan's name down for commendations on the mission report. Maybe it had been stupid, and maybe she should have thought things through more carefully during the mission...but in the end, she couldn't make herself feel guilty for trying to protect an ally. What if it had been Otto? Gale? Clerise, Jude, Ariane--in the end, it really didn't matter. She would have done the same thing regardless of who it was.
She kept her face devoid of expression, calm, but the same could not be said about how she was feeling inside. So this was it, huh? She could hear Chara in her head--the gorgon had lost her usual cool composure, her voice meek as she stuttered and panicked and begged for Eva to ask Caelius to reconsider, even if she knew that that was pointless.
Sorry, Chara.
But before she could even push her chair back and stand up, there were people protesting. Robert was the first to speak up, and Eva found the corners of her lips quirking upwards. Perhaps some would call it stupidity, but to Eva, Robert was brave. At the very least, he was never afraid of saying what was on his mind...consequences be damned.
And indeed, there were swift consequences. Her stomach dropped as Caelius soundly knocked the big man out, and then her gaze swerved to Gale as the blond boy suddenly stood up and offered to take her place. There was a moment of silence as she openly gaped at him, and then she pushed herself up to her feet.
"Gale!" He was already in bad graces with the division head--she didn't want him to have to go through any more.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Nov 27, 2012 7:45 pm
Melvin was treated with a very sort of slow, feral smile, one that many candidates would be familiar with once upon a time, nothing more, nothing less.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Nov 27, 2012 7:49 pm
Lex was, for a brief moment, breathless. His report had condemned them all - it was his fault. His own damned fault. If he had just been more discrete, more secret about it... they would all be safe. It was all on him, really.
And now people were being knocked down, or volunteering themselves to take the place of others. No. Not on his watch. Lex was at fault here; it was his damned report that did them all in. He wasn't going to let this go down like it was.
"No." His voice was loud, level and calm though. "No." He repeated standing up and twirling his pistol around his hand, handing the butt of the gun to Caelius.
"I offer myself for all of them, sir. Even the ones that are taking the place of those you've deemed 'defective.'" A wistful glance was cast on those he'd ratted out. He sighed, head hung low.
"Just make it quick. Do it now."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Nov 27, 2012 7:49 pm
And just as he expected, Robert went down. Others were starting to get up in an uproar, and Deryk expected them to be shot down just the same. They were lucky though.
What he didn't expect, was hearing two different voices speaking up to try and vouch for him.
Lifting his head, he stared at Jude and Ofelia, furrowing his brow. What were they doing?! They shouldn't be throwing themselves away for a defect.
"D-Don't do this..."
That was all he could get out.
He was grateful but at the same time he wasn't really sure how to feel.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Nov 27, 2012 7:49 pm
Ryan did not say anything. However, if looks could kill...
It was just like Caelius to have everyone involved executed. Just for trying to protect those they cared for. The man was inhuman. Some saw him as a leader, worthy of their respect, but all Ryan saw was a mad dog. Someone crazed and willing to destroy and sacrifice anyone and anything for the sake of a damned mission. It was despicable. The fact that he, nor Kat were mentioned didn't escape his notice either. He wasn't sure why they hadn't been listed with the others, but there was no doubt in his mind, that they weren't forgotten and that whatever was in store wasn't going to be anymore pleasant either.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Nov 27, 2012 7:53 pm
"What!?" Kat was expecting some serious punishment from the death lead, but this.. to execute so many.. was he insane!? The fact that neither herself, or Ryan being named was also bugging her. If Kat was pissed before, she was seething now. Surely, Allan and the rest of the leaders would not stand for something like this? Cael may be the main guy in charge, but the others could put in their say if they wanted, right?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
