[Bat] Where There is Smoke [Camelot & Hypnos]

[Lithiasaur]

The Page of Earth was patrolling late into the morning before he would go back to the Surrounding and check on the civilians. He might as well, considering the time, and he was working well on little to no sleep. He had grown accustomed to long nights already, even before picking up this new schedule. At the library, sometimes he forgot to go home.

Now he was away from home because he was saving lives. Or looking for lives to save.

He saw the smoke from a short distance off, and moved toward it quickly. There were no alarms, no people gathering around the house, no distant sirens approaching. In fact, it seemed oddly quiet when he reached the burning house, and that was his first disquieting observation. It sent a shudder through him. The next thing to have that same effect was a terrible screech that came from inside the building, followed by the cry of a child.

There were people in there.

Camelot was no fire fighter, but he was a knight, and this was his city to protect. These were his people to protect. He charged in without much thought, lingering in the street only as long as it took him to approach the house and then vanish inside.

"Is anyone in here?!" he called.  

[Appeal]

Sailor Hypnos was yawning as she staggered down the sidewalk, wobbling back and forth with her bunny Thanatos loosely held in her hand. Despite that fact she was the senshi of sleep, she was feeling like it was getting the better of her. It was too late for her to be awake and now she was finally feeling the effects of her constant journey to and from the Surrounding, but how could she sleep when there were so many people counting on her? It was the thought of helping them all in their time of need that kept her going, smiling as she walked under the blanket of stars that watched her from above.

She didn't seem to be the only one under the watchful eyes of the stars though, her head looking up toward a power signature in the distance. She hadn't expected to sense any power signatures on Earth, not with the sheer number of people who were currently assisting the Zodiacs up in the Surrounding! She couldn't help but wonder who it was and what they were doing as her body began to move in the direction it was coming from. It wouldn't hurt for her to check before she went home, right? She'd only toss and turn with curiosity if she didn't.

It only took a couple of minutes for her to arrive but what she seen as she did was completely unexpected! It was Camelot and he was rushing into the burning building. What was going on? Why was he going in there? The question didn't linger in her mind very long. She could hear cries from inside and she didn't know what to do. She couldn't just leave them there, but wasn't this the job of a fireman? Her eyes looked around eagerly to see the men in their uniforms come to their aid but they weren't there and neither was there any indication that they were coming. There was no siren in the distance and the only sounds in the air was the sound of screaming from inside and an unsettling screech. It was familiar, and very worrisome.

Her arms folded against her chest and she looked around, taking a step forward and then another back. She was debating what to do and when the sounds finally became too much and she finally decided, she set Thanatos onto the ground and then set her senshi cell phone into his arms. There was a forlorn expression on her face as she softly caressed the bunny's soft white fur before her lips parted. "Call for help," she whispered before she gathered up all her courage and then carefully walked up to the door that lingered open from Camelot's descent earlier. She lingered there as she stared inside. She could do it, she had to do it. There were people in there and the knight who had saved her might now need help! She couldn't be afraid, she couldn't leave them alone. Okay, maybe she could be afraid but that latter was still true. She trembled but slowly she was finally able to move ahead and she made her way inside behind Camelot.

She called out to him, looking around carefully as she tried to find him or anyone else she could possibly reach. It certainly wasn't quiet but she felt alone as her arms hugged her body. There was no reply and so she continued calling out as she made her way inside until she found herself in an open room, lingering carefully in the doorway. Was he in here?

 

[Lithiasaur]

Camelot came crashing into view soon enough. He had a youma on top of him, and he hit the ground near Hypnos hard on his back. It had leaped out from the flames, which he knew now were actually a part of it rather than natural. The way they burned was uneven: the youma had to focus on the flames to make them burn hotter in some areas than others. It was only small consolation, though coupled in that it was unclear if the smoke from the youma was more or less dangerous than normal smoke from flame.

He coughed regardless: the thing had landed on his stomach and was heavy on his lungs. He struggled to catch a breath, catching the things long arms and wrestling with it before it leaped away from him and vanished into a flurry of flames nearby.

Still coughing and gagging for breath, Camelot heard the scream again. Upstairs. He saw Hypnos, though, and froze.

he didn't know her: he had never met the little senshi before, but he did know she was a young kid and had no business being in this dangerous place. Even if she was a senshi. He shook his head.

"You need to get out of here! It's dangerous!" he called, protective as always. He struggled to his feet and moved to her, keeping low from the smoke just in case. "It's a youma, I think there's a family upstairs. I need to get to them, but you can get hurt if you stay. Please, go outside where it's safe, little one!"

He moved away from her in a hurry then, heading for the stairs.  

[Appeal]

Sailor Hypnos had to step back when Camelot practically crashed through the room, not expecting him or his company. It had been so unexpected and never in her adventures with youma across Destiny City had she ever come across such a spectacle of a beast. It looked as it if was on fire and the thought its wail screech was terrifying. The fire hurt, didn't it? Was it hurt? The child leaned forward, one arm blanketing the top of her head in the process. No, it wasn't on fire! It was the cause of the fire!

The youma didn't stick around for her to examine though and it quickly fled back into the flames toward the back of the house. She went to step toward Camelot, to help him, when he rushed over toward her. She was silent, listening to the adult carefully. What Camelot said was probably true, but while she respected him just like the heroic knights in her favourite books she couldn't help but become concerned. What about him? What about the family? He was a knight as epic as tales but even he was just one knight! He couldn't possibly get the whole family out of the house and make sure the youma didn't attack at the same time.

Of course, she couldn't get a word in before the heroic knight had run off to save the day again. He went upstairs, leaving Hypnos to stand in the hall between the room where the youma had fled and the door that lead outside. She stared longingly toward the fiery room, and then outside toward Thanatos. Would anyone come to help Camelot?

She believed in him, but at the same time she was concerned. There was too much for him to do alone and if she just left him alone then who knows what would happen. How could a knight do his best without a maiden to stand by him? By his side in the time of a crisis gave her the perfect place to protect him and she wanted to protect him so badly. She wanted to protect him just like he had protect her from the dragon that day in the park. She didn't want to see this knight's tale end in sadness and if she couldn't protect him this story then she would just have to re-write the rules so she could. If that meant challenging his authority, then so be it.

She gave one last look out the door and then the only thing that could be seen from outside was the sight of her bunny slippers disappearing up the steps.

 

[Lithiasaur]

Camelot didn't see the youma as he came into the room, which was a good thing. He did see the family huddled together, too scared to get out. The window was jammed, and blocked. Giles moved to the mother, who had a young child against her and an older, but still very young, kid beside her, clinging to her desperately. All three had ashy faces streaked with tears.

He smiled at them reassuringly.

"I'm here to help you," he said softly, and the woman, despite having a man dressed like a ren faire escapee kneeling before her while her house was burning down, nodded her head. If she took a moment, she would realize that the building was not actually burning at all, save where the youma focused its flames. And the flames around them grew hotter, warning Camelot that the youma was near.

Except it wasn't going for him, or the civilians.

He turned and saw it leap out of the flames and into the hall. Running after it, he saw it leaping towards Hypnos.

"Look out!" He called, though he wasn't sure he'd be able to get to her in time to prevent her from being tackled. Being so close to the stairs, he was scared she would be sent crashing down them with the youma. Of course, the monster could escape into the flames at any time. Hypnos and Camelot didn't have that option. He charged after it, hoping to get there in time.  

[Appeal]

Hypnos had successfully made it to the top of the stairs with minimum effort but there was no sign of Camelot whom she had followed to protect nor the civilians whom he had run after to save. She was left standing in the hall, looking left and then looking right as she peered this way and that to see if she could find out which way he'd gone to.

She couldn't decide which way to go but that was quickly resolved when Camelot found her before she could choose a direction to go, but not before the youma had come bounding toward her. Her eyes widened at the youma's upcoming sight, Camelot's warning no more than a whisper in the wind as he came into view. Her breath froze in her lungs and her legs stepped backwards only to hit the edge of the floor where it dropped onto the stairs.

There wasn't much time to think and no where to go but she couldn't let this stop her. She had so much to do! She had to help Camelot save everyone! Her body flew to the side of the hall, hitting a wall as well as a piece of furniture beside her. Why couldn't she be stronger? She didn't want to be a burden to him, forcing him to leave the civilians to attempt to save her. What about them? They needed help, and certainly more than her! She refused to acknowledge her own need, grabbing the nearby pembroke table that she had just bumped into and holding the top against her body so the long legs were directed to the youma as it tackled her.

"Please stars, please help me! I want to protect everyone!" She cried out to the world, her voice clear and pleading. Wouldn't they hear her plea?