Welcome to Gaia! ::

((It'll work, might name it specifically "roads" or some such, but I'll worry about that later.))

After hotwiring the Eldon's truck, the bearded man motioned for the others to get into the back, while he and another man crawled into the cab with Ruby sitting between them. They bound Ruby's hands behind her back using a mix of shoelaces and a belt, and the second man kept the gun resting against Ruby's temple as they drove. "Don't take this too personaly, kid, just about survival here." The bearded man spoke, as he manouvered the vehicle down the road. As Ruby listened to his voice, the fact that she hadn't recognized Brooks earlier grated on her nerves, but she kept quiet, knowing it would be better if the former PSO didn't recognize her in turn. The gunshot in her arm continued to hurt, and she worked on keeping herself conscious, but her complextion was growing more and more pale. If she passed out her body would automatically heal, and she knew that couldn't happen.

The man with the gun looked to Brooks who shook his head. "We keep going, obviously the concern is for the girl's safety, and in that we have the advantage." He pressed on the gas.

Brooks swerved around, trying to avoid the bus, but was forced to press on the breaks.

Brooks glanced at Ruby breifly, making note of a silver chain she wore around her neck. "Grab that necklace, and whatever other jewelry she has on her, anything we can pawn to make a little bit of cash."

The gunman nodded, and grabbed for the most accessible piece of jewelry, the silver ring on her small finger.

"No!" Ruby tried to close her fist and pull it back, but was too late.

The man pocketed the ring, and moved the gun back to Ruby's head, threatening to pull the trigger if she made so much as a move as he took the necklace with the silver vial. She held still, knowing that without the ring the powerinihibiting bullet would only need to graze her...to leave her dead in a matter of seconds.

Brooks opened up the truck door, stepping out. He motioned for the gunman to hand him the gun, and then grabbed Ruby by the arm, pulling her out the cab with him. "You want her alive, then you let all of us go without trouble." Brooks yelled towards Arch and the bus.

((writer's check list: "Take an already desparate situation and make it worse" ....>.> *checks*))

As Arch came into view out of the bus, Brooks raised the gun took take a shot at the angel, if not to kill him then to at least disable his powers. But the moment the gun was moved from her and aimed at the Angel, Ruby panicked. She grabbed the gun. Brooks held on. They both struggled, one to save his own life, the other to save the life of her lover. The gun went off, and Ruby dropped to the ground, the wound in her hand.

The moment they heard the shot and then saw the girl drop most of the freed slaves took off running, including the man with Ruby's ring in his pocket. Brooks lifted the gun back toward the Angel, visibly shaken. On the ground Ruby's emotional signature was fading, and fading fast.

((Ppfff, totally the cheap way out....but I suppose Arch wouldn't have sat back and done nothing while Ruby got shot, so yeah...))

Brooks was scared enough to wet himself, as Arch reappeared, and held the blade against Brook's throat. He dropped the gun-- no surprise there.

Ruby pulled away from Brook's grasp and moved to Arch curling close against his arm. The bullet wound from earlier began to heal, but not before a line of blood shot out and grabbed back Ruby's ring, bringing it back to her hand. "I was intendin' to infiltrate the AoH slave trade, but the rescue was a real sweet thought, an' all." With the pain from her wound gone, and Arch at her side, Ruby was much more confident, and the fact that the situation had been a little over her head was slipping from her mind.

Brooks was as pale as Arch's feathers. The other slaves had slowly moved away and then made a run for it, until Brooks was the only one left. "All right, she's yours, the deal was you'd let me go free, unharmed." Brooks tried to bargain the blade from his throat.

((Why are you tasting the laundry? And what does it have to do with how this thread is used?))

As the slaves ran, another figure appeared. She walked from out of a shadow, the moonlight falling on a dark cloak. Most of her features were hidden by the shadow of her hood, but the moonlight showed clearly on her sharp pale grin. She kept her left hand hidden beneath the cloak, but as it moved there was a sharp reflection on the blade of a dagger. On her shoulder there rustled a dark bug, a long grasshopper, or locust, it was busily eating a string of plantlife.

With complete focus the cloaked figure moved to Arch and Ruby. "We need to borrow this." The figure's pale hand shot out from her cloak and clasped onto Ruby's wrist, like a band of white stone. "She will be returned in due time." And with that, both Ruby and the figure dissapeared, as if they had been nothing more than a trick of moonlight and tired eyes.