|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Thu Jan 08, 2009 5:25 pm
"If... if you knew why I was doing what... I was... doing... you wouldn't think I was..."
Lithil managed, still slumped over and muffled. She tried to haul herself back up to her feet, her hair luckily falling over her shredded and writhing features and obscuring most of it.
"Y-you wouldn't look down on me..."
Managing to pull herself up onto her knees, she lay a hand on her heaving side.
"I-I have to keep going... I don't want you all coming along in case it's just a fool's errand. If someone's to die, it's best to be me and only me! I won't pull you down with me! I can't let that happen!"
Now her face was healed more, she threw back her hair and glared at the congregated unaffected, lips curled back to reveal teeth clenched with sobs and eyes glittering again with moisture.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jan 08, 2009 5:29 pm
Ian kneeled next to Lithil, shaking his head.
"I don't want to do this, but if you get up, mate, I'm going to stop you." he said softly, in a tone that like he used with Kaz, meant he meant what he was saying.
"A fool's errand for what?" he asked quietly. "Your last radio message was you where going home. I see you don't have the radio anymore. I'm not going to leave without explanations...so please, why'd you run off?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jan 08, 2009 5:41 pm
Lithil managed a dark chuckle, head dipping low again.
"A-as if you could st-stop me..."
But she kept to her knees, letting her body do its work. Even she couldn't stop it, even though she knew what it was doing to her...
"Yeah... home."
She raised her head, gazing over Ian's shoulder at the Tower in the distance.
"I figure... if I'm alive..."
She took a deep breath.
"That perhaps this means any part of my family's still alive. And if they are, I know where to find them, I'm so positive."
She glanced down at her lap again, where her hands were bunched tight in fists, bloodstained and shaking against the camo-patterned fabric.
"B-but I could be deadly wrong. Heading into the center of the city means more of a likeliness of running into far stronger and more d-drones and I don't think anyone else wants this but me. I-I don't want anyone to die following me th-through..."
She took a deep, steadying breath as if readying herself again.
"A-and I'm dying anyway, so it doesn't matter, f-for me..."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jan 08, 2009 5:44 pm
Pandora went over to Lithl's side. "Dying?? Not if I can help it." She said kindly as she touched one hand to Lithl's face and watched it heal over faster than even she expected, and she was searching for any other sources of pain, and fixed them too, there was some difficulty at one point, but it seemed as if everything was alright at the moment she was finished. Once she was done she looked Lithl in the eyes. "I am here, in no place to judge. I believe if leaving is what you must do, than you shouldn't be stopped." She said, flashing a glance back at the others. " I know that running away can be the best soution at times, that is until you can deal with what drove you away in the first place. Until you are ready to." Pandora wasn't expecting anything from her, she was merely an observer at this point in time.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jan 08, 2009 5:53 pm
"I'm living for nothing and a wise man once said that if you can't find anything worth living for, find something worth dying for. I can't just stand by and let you suffer. Give me a purpose, let me come with you." He carefully inched a little closer and looked her in the eyes. Normally, he would have been enjoying seeing someone hurt, but this was just horrible.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jan 08, 2009 5:55 pm
Ian shook his head as Pandora healed Lithil.
"As the new Sheila said, you aren't dying. Not on our watch." he said with a tone of finality.
"Also...you're not going alone. If I have to stop you by shooting out your kneecaps, then I will without hesitation. You go alone, and you're dead. 100%. Guaranteed. There are hundreds of thousands of just the normal buggers near there. Imagine that, plus whatever mutations there may be. No, if you're going, we're all going. We stand a better chance will all of us than you do alone." he said.
Ian was one for speeches, but never actually went on one unless it was needed. He figured at this point, he was.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jan 08, 2009 6:00 pm
Missing the main part of the party again, the jeep-driving Virgil stopped his thought sending as he saw a flying lizard soar over his head to catch Lithil.
Running up next to the accumulated party, noting yet another addition in the form of a girl, a healer no less, Virgil caught his breath.
Lithil was making excuses about trying go home, and trying to do so alone, on a "fools errand", so he tried appealing to her survival instincts:
"Lithil, you do realize we're here to help each other, right? If I hadn't of cared, I wouldn't have come after you."
Stepping closer with every word, Virgil emphasized each one of them with a soft...mind gesture, for lack of a better word. Images of unity, strength, etc. Kneeling down to be eye level with Lithil, Virgil continued,
"If you want to go farther in, I'll go with you." He continued, firmly, "From here until you find your parents...I'll be like your adoptive father. That means I'm going to look out for you, and stop you from doing 'fool's errands'. Besides, we have a better chance of finding the truth together, do we not?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jan 08, 2009 6:02 pm
Lithil blinked, almost flinching away from the new girl's touch but holding herself steady. Even in her damaged state she still tried to be somewhat polite, even though she barely knew this chick and already she was- oh wait. She was a healer. That was quite useful. Saved her the energy of having to regenerate, certainly...
Feeling much better, the yellow shapeshifter even managed a smile. Noticing the support she was given by both Ian, Virgil and Orex, this smile got deeper and broader, her expression softening.
"Thank you... all of you..."
She took a deep breath and was glad to find it didn't hurt that time. Maybe this was a good sign, maybe this was a good thing...
"But... my ability is eating away at my resources faster than I can produce them. So when I'm protecting myself and others... I'm slowly fading away. Kinda ironic. You guys, you can keep yourself up, support yourselves. I just know if I don't do this soon I won't be able to. If you really want to go with me..."
She stood up, silhouetted against the softly glowing sky, eyes like their normal ice chips again.
"This is your last time to turn back. I- don't- there's no time to waste."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jan 08, 2009 6:16 pm
Ian said nothing, weighing his options.
His military training piped in with a simple though, one line: No man is left behind, and no man is left to fend for himself.
He knew that if any of his squadmates was lying prone like Lithil was and they had to fight through insurmountable odds, he would follow in a heartbeat.
His self-preservation gave its opinion next. It's going to be dangerous, likely you'll get quite injured. he kicked that idea out instantly.
Other ideas milled around. She's protected you a little up to this point, return the favour. was one. Even one he didn't expect popped up.
Chances are, Missy will be going with them.
He stood up straight and gave Lithil a serious, military salute.
"You're the mission leader, Capt'n." he said, lowering his hand. "Staff Sargent Ian Cromwell of the 2nd RAR will stand behind you." he said, serious of every word.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jan 08, 2009 6:20 pm
Orex felt guilty. All his power did was leave him with a nearly insatiable hunger, but it was killing her. "I don't care what awaits us, I'll rip it to shreds. I was getting hungry anyway." He laid his head down next to her. "Get on. If anything wants you, they'll have to go through me first. If you want to move back farther, hold on to the spikes. They're not sharp, just pointy on top. If anyone else wants a ride, I'd be happy to oblige."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jan 08, 2009 6:37 pm
"I'm up for a dangerous adventure. Someone has to be there if you guys get messed up too bad." Pandora smiled. It was bound to be fun, despite the trouble. "And, I can help you, Lithl, during the journey . Oh, my name is Pandora by the way." She added. It seemed as if she would have to riddle out why Lithl's power was causing her distruction, and she wanted to find out.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jan 08, 2009 7:26 pm
Missy stayed back, not wanting Lithil to know how much pain she had caused her. She gained her composure and went over to be with every one. She looked at Lithil. "I understand that you didnt want to put us in danger, but did you ever think that it might kill some of us if you left?" Missy said keeping her mind blank and not letting any emotion run through her. "I am going to be with you and protect you, like i would protect anyone here." She said this time the raw emotion showed in her voice. She turned her back to every one and jumped onto Orex's back. She sat as far away from the front as possible.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jan 09, 2009 7:44 am
Kaz sat in silence as the others expressed thier feelings and again he turned his gaze on Lithil as he stands he says, "Lithil, you are my friend, and as my friend i will do everything in my power to help you, i will do everything in my power to protect you, just like i do now, with all of you, i will stand and fight with you, whatever the cost may be." He then offers a hand to the girl.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jan 09, 2009 7:57 am
Lithil's resolve hardened, and she nodded.
"Nice to meetcha, Pandora."
It seemed they were going along for the ride too.
... idiots...
She couldn't help but smile, tears glistening on her cheeks, shaking her head.
When did I make such solid friends...?
She raised her head, still maintaining the strong beam that graced her features, and took Kaz's hand, shaking it.
"Right. Let's do this, then!"
She bounded onto Orex, kneeling near his shoulders. She felt terribly guilty about how Missy reacted to the situation, but she knew either way she would have hurt someone.
Shame it had to be her...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jan 09, 2009 8:24 am
Kaz smiled as Lithil took his hand and shook it. He to turned and leapt onto Orex's head. Then turning to see Missy sitting as far away as possible he sighed. So Troublesome. He thought. before moving over to her. "Are you ok Missy?" He asked a gently as he could.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
