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Syd almost screamed as the killer whale burst through the water. She crouched down, trying to keep her balance, but she was acutely aware of how the whale was focused in on her. She was pretty sure it was because of her time as a penguin--maybe the smell still stuck around, even after a shower.

She took off at a run, racing across the ice. Behind her the whale kept lunging, until it finally jumped onto the ice, sending Syd high into the air. For a second her heart was in her throat, then she landed on her butt on another piece of ice, scrambling to her feet and racing on.

ugh. rep.

If being helpless wasn't bad enough, rep had to put his two cents in. ********. Leon let out a groan as he tried to get up form his sitting position. "Shut up, body hurts and i swear that tentacle tried to leave its number on my back." he winced with every tiny movement. but he took solace in the beauty of watching all the tentacles lose their will to fight.

Not long after, the horror of the ice breaking sunk in. And moving his own body felt nearly impossible to do. "crap, this is not good."

for once, he had to damn himself and his heavy toned body. ]HA the one time i can call you a fatass. "Nid shut up, precarious situation here." Oh right.

Feng watched at the tentacles fell in succession. One after another they crashed into the ice, shaking the shelf and almost sending Feng sprawling for the hundredth time this mission. The screeching of the creature as it began to comprehend it's failure was deafening, to the point where Feng thought perhaps he needed to cover his ears to prevent serious damage.

Had he covered his ears though, he would have missed the low, rumbling crack. The crack that meant he was in serious trouble, because it meant the ice was breaking. He looked around wildly and saw them, twisting, harsh streaks in the ice, spreading further and further. They had to get out of here. He stuck around for long enough to make sure he wasn't needed for sled pulling - and he wasn't, the big redhead seemed to have a handle on the sled - and then he ran.

It was a difficult type of run. The kind where you know you have to keep pushing, even though it hurt so bad. His knee was starting to throb again, flaring with every heavy fall of his feet on the ice. He could tell he wasn't running fast enough, and as if punctuating his thoughts, he felt the ice begin to give way under him. He cried out for help, but it was too late. He was free falling through the hold. And then he landed on something... squishy. He looked down and saw a pupil, and let out another cry.

This area was too far away to be sedated, even with the runic amp up. The monster proved that by flailing it's tentacles wildly in his direction and slapping at him. It tried to grab him and pull him down but he was already trying to scramble back onto the ice. A thick tentacle wrapped around his foot and started to drag him down, but he kicked and twisted and managed to get free, frantically pulling himself up, up, up. He slid onto the ice with a grunt, but didn't have time to stop and catch his breath. He had to get up and keep moving.

Once again, for another battle, Molly had been no help at all.

…What had she been doing the entire time? Oh yeah. Heartily wishing that Doctor H was just having tea and crumpets with the tentacles. Molly indulged in that happy thought for just a few moments longer, before another big problem made itself known. It was a relief to see all the tentacles disappear, but then they really needed to get out of here. She looked back at the hole where the creature had been, waiting to see a big reveal or something…the Life Division lead would come back, right? She remembered that orientation! He could do magic.

She shook her head, clearing her thoughts. Okay, focus on the more important task. She de-summoned her weapon and looked around for anyone who needed help getting onto the sleds.

They did it! The tentacle crashed and Candace's heart leaped in her chest. They did it. They sedated it. Now they could go in and save H and get the artifact, right? That was how these things worked. H would show up, go 'why did you take so long I got the artifact and have been waiting for you all to hurry up'. He was too strong to die, too smart, too...to perfect. No, H. No. You can't die. You can't. Come out. Please. She waited, wincing and biting down on her lip when she heard the screech. Ow..ow...

...H? Wait..wait where was it going!? No! No, come back! H wasn't back yet! Stop it! Candace gasped, moving closer to the edge of the pit. Where was he? Where? No. No this couldn't be happening no no nonononono he couldn't be no. No! "N..no it...no! Come back! Come back, damnit!" She cried, watching the Titan disappear. There was no sign of H. No sign of her Doctor. No...

"No.." She breathed, eyes wide. No. No, this wasn't happening. This was all some terrible nightmare. She wanted this to be a nightmare. Wake up, Candace. Wake up. Wake up in H's arms, okay? You're sleeping in his warm bed in his embrace like you have night after night for the past two months. It wasn't every night but...it was a lot of them. It was only seconds, but it felt like hours. Hours waiting for a hand to suddenly come up from over the edge and for the doctor to pull himself up onto the ice shelf, that toothy grin on his face as he told them all how stupid they were and how awesome he was in that special way only he could pull off. Hours waiting for another chance to hug that man, to kiss those lips.

Seconds that felt like hours.

H wasn't...he wasn't coming back...

"No...no..YOU a*****e!" She screamed, fists clenched. "YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO ******** DIE YOU...YOU b*****d COME BACK HERE! YOU ALWAYS LEFT IT UP TO ME SO NOW I SAY COME BACK!" This was too much. If it was just Julie? She'd be okay. If it was just Allan? She'd be alright. If it was just Simon? She'd be fine. If this hadn't been the man she had come to love and admire since last year? If this hadn't been the man she'd risked and ruined a decent relationship with? If this hadn't been a man so interesting, so...so loving toward her during moments of peace and quiet..if this hadn't been..if this hadn't been yet another death in the span of just a few days, of someone she actually knew, of someone she couldn't see ever...ever dying..she'd be okay.

But this. This was too much. She could hardly breathe, only able to do so in harsh, shuddering gasps and pants as she tried desperately not to hyperventilate. Now is not the time, Candace. Now is not the time. Not now. Not here. Not yet. But she wanted it to be now. Everyone else got to cry. s**t, Harrison fainted. Why couldn't she let herself have a moment?

The ground moved beneath her and Candace gasped, stumbling and slipping to one knee as the ground shook too much. She unsummoned Atropos, her body trembling as she forced herself back to her feet. They had to leave. But...no! They didn't get the artifact! They didn't get what they came here for! They couldn't leave! Not without the doc--the artifact! NO! No! She didn't want to leave! Not without what they came here for! But it was escape or die..

...Wow that...she'd never..had to consider her options so seriously before. No. Don't do that, Candace. She backed away from the edge, coughing and choking on her own breath. You have to get out of here, Candace. You have to go back to the camp. You can't stay here...

Why wouldn't let legs listen to her?

And just like that, the world began to crumble around them. Robert grinned for just a split moment, before he scrambled to his feet, running headfirst for one of the sleds. He was good at a scant few things. Grunt work was one of them. So he hopped over broken pieces of ice, jumped clean across a chasm, and landed skidding in front of the last of the sleds, immediately strapping the leather cords around his shoulders. He heaved, and the sled came to life, dropping most of it's non-passenger load to make room for people.

"ALL ABOOOOOOOOOARD," He yelled obnoxiously, trudging forward with big steps as he passed the wounded, giving anyone a chance to climb on.


((ALL ABOARD THE ROBERT EXPRESS BECAUSE BOBBY BOYS PULLING THE 4th SLED just hop on as he passes and rest assured he is making horn noises))

Someone touched her, a gentle touch that made her heart skip a beat. H?! Candace whipped around, immediately looking disappointed by neither the face nor the voice belonging to the doctor. Molly...wait, what? Go? Tear-filled eyes widened, her chest rising and falling with quick, rapid breaths as she looked back toward the pit again. "B-but no..no! I..we can't just..but H.." She couldn't leave him. She couldn't just abandon him. Candace wanted so badly to see him return. Please, H..

"Oh, thanks Sasha," Deryk smiled weakly after she had been freed. And before too long, the last harpoon had been used up. He thought they might be done here, seeing the tentacles drop, but no. Things had to terribly wrong. The ice was now breaking and if they didn't get the hell out of there, they were going to fall right with it into freezing waters. There was no way they could survive if they fell.

Seeing the injured get into sleds, he was thinking of trying to pull, but that was already being taken care of. By those were were more muscled than him. It was probably for the best. And so. He ran.

The piece of ice he was on began to tilt though. Eyes widening, he scrambled up before launching himself at the next chunk, just barely making it. He felt like he had done this in some game before, but this was a hell lot scarier and heartpounding than any platforming experience was.

HP:18