Awake in Prefeton (Superpowers Char RP|IC, Signup, Open)

[Dragos Bee]

Ascot Rider

Ascot looked at Nikolai, then he stopped all attempts to destroy the concrete wall with his Entropy powers, before saying, “If not for the fact that such a suggestion would have been rejected even worse, I’d have suggested going for the base earlier. Much earlier. But we weren’t strong enough then, were we? We might not be strong enough now, but we might not have any other choice.”

Then he faced Maurice and said, “I don’t think anyone here can fly for now, although people might develop flight in the future.”

After that, he requested Nikita, “If I may ask you something, perhaps you can remotely hack into the Military Base’s mainframe using your powers?”

[Nachfolgia]

Allison Clark

Allison could not believe what she was seeing. Tefford, the mysterious man that was once their principal, the same man that dragged them out there, was swimming back to shore. He had completely abandoned them to figure everything out on their own. She had no idea what Tefford was planning to do, having now presented himself as food for the tentacle creature that was still lurking in the water.

" What the fuck, Principal T??!!!" Allison called out, throwing her arms out to the side for emphasis. She quickly looked around for something to throw at the man as he was quickly swimming away. Finding only a small plastic barrel, she picked it up and chucked it with her full strength. It catapulted through the air and landed in the water a good bit away from the boat. " You coward!!!" Allison yelled out again, cupping her hands to amplify her voice.

" Can't believe him." She muttered to herself as she turned back around to face the group. In the time that she spent cursing at Tefford, the rest of the group was starting the think going back to shore and figure out another way off the island. Many seemed to think that what was beyond the concrete wall may be worse than staying. Heavily disagreeing with their judgment, Allison stepped forward in-between them all.

" Go back?! There is no going back. We go back and we'll end up missing like the others. We have already picked our fight the moment we went with Tefford and look at him, he's abandoned us. Who's to say that this wasn't a trick? That he's working for them? We have to keep moving forward, keep pressing the attack. "

Allison then pointed at the already crumbling wall.

" That wall is not going to stop me. I can get through that in like 5 minutes." She looked at Nikolai, looking him deep in the eyes." You know I can, Nikolai."

[Lessoni]

" That wall is not going to stop me. I can get through that in like 5 minutes." She looked at Nikolai, looking him deep in the eyes." You know I can, Nikolai."

Jack Brekker

It almost seemed like the group was collectively seeing sense. Maurice especially seemed adamant on going back, and Ascot had been open to suggestion, though his suggestion to “hack the mainframe” was a tad silly. Then Allison spoke up, and the illusion that teenagers could be trusted to make responsible decisions was shattered.

“So apparently jocks are meatheads... that came out louder than expected. Alright I’m sticking to it, that’s a dumbass idea, Allison. You got any idea what’s on the other side? Dudes with guns, aliens, the flying fuckin’ spaghetti monster? At the moment, we got a chance that they didn’t find out about this little stunt, we break through? They will, if they’re halfway competent. So if you want to light a damn flare and yell to get buttfucked, go ahead, but do it somewhere that you won’t take the rest of us with you.”

[Bingellia]

Jack Brekker

It almost seemed like the group was collectively seeing sense. Maurice especially seemed adamant on going back, and Ascot had been open to suggestion, though his suggestion to “hack the mainframe” was a tad silly. Then Allison spoke up, and the illusion that teenagers could be trusted to make responsible decisions was shattered.

“So apparently jocks are meatheads... that came out louder than expected. Alright I’m sticking to it, that’s a dumbass idea, Allison. You got any idea what’s on the other side? Dudes with guns, aliens, the flying fuckin’ spaghetti monster? At the moment, we got a chance that they didn’t find out about this little stunt, we break through? They will, if they’re halfway competent. So if you want to light a damn flare and yell to get buttfucked, go ahead, but do it somewhere that you won’t take the rest of us with you.”

Maurice Williamson

Even with the group starting to acquiesce to his plan, Maurice was still livid at the opposition, quietly shooting daggers at Marcel and Nikolai. Now was not the time to argue, and it wasn't like any of them were coming up with anything more viable than his plan. As far as he was concerned, everyone else was a goddamned idiot at the moment, and Ascot and Nikolai's rapid acceptance of his plan just proved it to him.

"You know what?" Maurice asked as he glanced over Allison before returning his attention to Marcel, "You can fucking try to break the damned wall. I'll give you five minutes to get as far through it as you possibly can." Throwning his hands up, he then motioned to the concrete barrier, "If you think your plan is better than mine, prove it. Just remember that we ultimately need a hole big enough to get the damned boat through. I don't think any of us want to swim to mainland in October, assuming we're even actually near the U.S."

[Nachfolgia]

Jack Brekker


“So apparently jocks are meatheads... that came out louder than expected. Alright I’m sticking to it, that’s a dumbass idea, Allison. You got any idea what’s on the other side? Dudes with guns, aliens, the flying fuckin’ spaghetti monster? At the moment, we got a chance that they didn’t find out about this little stunt, we break through? They will, if they’re halfway competent. So if you want to light a damn flare and yell to get buttfucked, go ahead, but do it somewhere that you won’t take the rest of us with you.”

" And who's to say that's not what we're going to find back home?" Allison said as she got in Jack's face. He was a couple inches taller than her, but she didn't care about that. She has faced off against taller and far bigger opponents that him. Jack's meathead comment had set Allison off worse than before. She knew that hitting him could have drastic consequences for him and her, but that didn't stop her from thinking about it. Her fists were clenched to her side as she held back wanting to punch Jack in the face.

" We've come too far to turn back now! We've already suffered to much to back down. How can we possibly quit when our goal is literally staring us in the fucking face?! " She yelled, motioning to the wall. " I don't know about the rest of you, but I don't back down from a challenge."

"You know what?" Maurice asked as he glanced over Allison before returning his attention to Marcel, "You can fucking try to break the damned wall. I'll give you five minutes to get as far through it as you possibly can." Throwning his hands up, he then motioned to the concrete barrier, "If you think your plan is better than mine, prove it. Just remember that we ultimately need a hole big enough to get the damned boat through. I don't think any of us want to swim to mainland in October, assuming we're even actually near the U.S."

Allison turned around and got in Maurice's face, staring down the much shorter boy.

" Fucking challenge accepted. Get me close to the wall and I'll give it all I've got. That wall is coming down."

[Lessoni]

" We've come too far to turn back now! We've already suffered to much to back down. How can we possibly quit when our goal is literally staring us in the fucking face?! " She yelled, motioning to the wall. " I don't know about the rest of you, but I don't back down from a challenge."

Jack Brekker

“You really want to prove me right about athletes, don’t you? You don’t back down from a challenge? This isn’t a fucking dare, this is our lives you seem really okay with putting at risk! So back off the wall before you bash the two braincells you have on it, and let’s get back to shore.”

He was glad Maurice was backing him up. Words were nice, but he wasn’t exactly confident he could take Allison in a fight, if that’s what it came to.

[Frisct the II]

Eren Fritz

Eren responded to Atalia with, “I felt the need to stick together - I was part of your first bonfire when it all started!”

Either way, Eren would follow Atalia into the house - He hoped Leon would follow as well. He knew that his powers were largely useless without the weapons, but that Atalia was their best chance of getting a coherent group going… Not that they are likely to actually get one because most everyone else wanted to be apathetic or willfully ignorant of the risks they faced. Well, except for those who decided to be dumbasses instead and try and rally people to their side without providing proof of leadership ability.

Far better for himself to be a follower.

Leo had taken quite the plunge into the unknown at what seemed the speed of light. Skipping the whole “testing the waters” phase and jumping straight into super powered teenage hell. He listened as Atalia and Eren conversed briefly, the former of the two taking charge quickly. Leo was more of a fighter than anything else so he had no issues accepting it.

“I may not be fast, but you don’t need to worry about me falling behind.” As he finished his sentence, Leo conjured two long daggers. Seeming rather plain at first glance aside from the color, the daggers were pitch black and could essentially cut through anything as long as they could make contact.

Wait a minute...if I combine the utilization of this dagger and my other abilities, I can cut things without having to be even relatively close to them, He thought to himself. Now was not the time for thinking though, and Leo figured it would be safer to be behind the bow and arrow wielding Atalia rather than in her way.

Speaking to Eren, Leo said “I think we should let her take charge. She seems to know more about this more than we do. At least, far more than I do. I’ll make sure we keep up with her.” As he spoke, Leo retreated into the house while keeping his eyes on the creatures so that none of them ambushed the group before making it into the house.

[Europa Undivided]

Circatrix Maledictum in the Boat

"Oh, bloody hell.", Nikita quietly muttered as the other people in the boat started arguing the way that hormone addled teenagers argue. There was no short supply of curses and insults being thrown about, what with Jack calling Allison a meathead and Allison yelling at Maurice and Jack for proposing to head back to shore. The boy looked at Erika, who was just sitting on a box, her left hand on her chin while the other hand had a little raincloud dancing on it. She looked like she was moments away from either raining down on everyone to make them shut up, or using her hydrokinesis in order to shove the boat away from the wall in order to force the argument once and for all. He knew her well; she wasn't going to agree to breaking a seemingly thick wall without knowing what's in the other side, what with a Kraken having attacked them already. What if there's a whole horde of them waiting out there?

As for Ascot's question of 'hacking' into the mainframe... Nikita would need to access a computer that is actually connected to said mainframe... which means going into that base anyway. He simply shook his head, indicating that it wasn't possible. The arguments needed to stop, though.

"Guys... just stop.", Nikita said to everyone that was currently embroiled in mind and word wars. He was loud, yet utterly calm. "How about we just have a compromise? Give Allison and Ascot five minutes to break through the wall. If, and only if it doesn't make a hole big enough for this boat to pass through, do we turn back to shore." He sighed, and shook his head. "Five minutes. I'll be counting."

He made another cursory glance, seeing Erika wipe the little floating rain cloud she had on her hand from existence, while Nikolai was just on the railings of the boat, staring out at the water. "Stay calm. Emotions merely cloud one's judgement "

[Lessoni]

He made another cursory glance, seeing Erika wipe the little floating rain cloud she had on her hand from existence, while Nikolai was just on the railings of the boat, staring out at the water. "Stay calm. Emotions merely cloud one's judgement "

Jack Brekker

Great. The russkie was calling for compromise. Normally, Jack would be all for a middle ground, but this wasn’t where they’d be going to eat, it was whether they’d survive or not, and 5 minutes was a much longer time than he was comfortable with.

“The fuck are you, some kinda monk? Emotions cloud judgement? That’s the most pretentious bullshit I’ve ever heard! My ‘emotions’ are telling me exactly what the left brain is saying; get the hell out of dodge. And how the hell do you expect them to break a hole big enough in 5 minutes? You can’t punch shit underwater, and I don’t think Ascot has gills. And how you gonna make it tall enough, oh wise sensei? Do you even think before you speak, or do you just try and act cool? You know what, I don’t care,” said Jack as he walked towards the controls of the boat.

He was turning this thing around, whether they liked it or not.

[Europa Undivided]

No

"Hm.", Nikita simply answered as Jack had an outburst, yet again. "You just want to get out of here as quickly as possible. I get that. So do I."

He watched as Jack stormed off the the controls, shaking his head. "There are a few ways that we can allow them to do their thing...", he simply muttered to himself as he reminded himself that two of their number had powers that were related to water. Maybe Jack hasn't seen what those two could do when in unison. But still...

Nikolai, the elder cryogenic brother, followed Jack with his eyes as he saw the titanic Korean walk towards the controls. He gave up on saying anything, and just kept looking at the water, resigning himself to whatever fate had in store.

[Dragos Bee]

Ascot Rider

Ascot would not interfere until Nikita confirmed whether or not he can hack into the base’s mainframe. Apparently, the young man’s technopathic powers hadn’t developed to the point where he can remotely access closed networks. And now the group was going to split once more into in-fighting, something that he had tried to prevent pre-emptively before but only wound up destroying his reputation with others. His conviction that he was the genius and child prodigy who would save everyone… That was a bad thing, yet at the same time, they cannot depend on adults, as Tobias Scott showed.

And yet, they cannot depend on each other. No one, no one, wanted to tackle this together. No one, no one, was ‘genre savvy’ enough to realize that that this was a problem which can only be persevered through by cooperation, by overcoming flaws, by getting past their ordinary, hormone-driven flaws and peccadillos like any good Young Adult Protagonist, including in grimdark settings, would. He hated this, he hated how people just can’t form a band of ‘true companions’ under pressure. Ascot Rider hated how people were so attached to their ordinary, commonplace lives that they won’t even act in their own best interests or the best interests of their fellow ‘special’ folk.

His eyes wandered downward, and Ascot saw that he still held the Firefighter’s Axe he had used against the Kraken. One more temptation, one more temptation to seize control of the group through force and intimidation. He had a killing weapon and they didn’t. He can probably talk Nikolai and Allison into helping him, too, if he dressed it up as ‘intimidation’ and assured them that no lives will be in danger. All he had to do is ask them to seize Jack while he threatened Maurice with the Axe.

But he won’t. Ascot Rider was better than this. If he was better than everyone else, he was putting his mouth where his heart was, if that was the correct saying.

He then said to Nikolai, Nikita, and Allison, “I request that we stand down. Far better that we make the wrong choice together than make the ‘right choice’ but we all hate each other.”

To emphasize his point, he stood between them and Jack, making sure that if Allison tried to seize the latter, she’d have to go through him - And he still had the Axe.

“We’re going back to the island, my personal wishes be damned,” were his next words.

[Nachfolgia]

Allison Clark

With another outburst by Jack, Allison's anger had reached the boiling point. It was one thing go after her, but to berate someone who was trying to compromise is uncalled for. Nikita was just trying to help calm two people who's emotions were getting the better of them, one of whom He definitely didn't deserve the kind of shit talking that Jack was giving him.

She was about to yank Jack up off the deck of the boat as he went for the controls when Ascot stepped between them. Unlike Nikita who wished to compromise, Ascot wanted them to concede. He wanted them to just let Jack take them back to the shore where death possibly awaited them. Despite him requesting them to stand down, Ascot's body language suggested that he was forcing them to.

Allison noted his tight grip on the fire axe suggested that he intended to use it if she pursued Jack. She didn't know what the axe would do to her much more dense frame, but her concern was not of harm to herself, but harm to Ascot. She knew that her training and muscle memory would take over before she could think and take down the boy. She did not want his blood on her hands.

Allison looked at Ascot for a few moments, a scowl on her face. " Fine. But don't come crying to me when we have to fight our way through the Army. " She said before walking away. She didn't exactly mean what she said, but her anger was still influencing her judgment. Allison would rather protect the others than stand by and watch them die.

Allison walked over and took her place next to Nikolai, leaning on the railing the same what he did. It was silent between them for a few moments as she stared at the water as well. Allison was still fuming over everything that had said. She didn't want to say anything until she had calmed down some. Feeling awkward about the silence, Allison spoke up.

" I'm...glad that you're ok. I'd hate to see you get hurt again with me nearby. " Allison said, still staring out at the water. " You know..." She paused as she looked at him. " ...you still manage to impress me during all this shit. You're always at the front of everything, being brave and taking action. It's...pretty cool. " Allison said, unaware of herself blushing ever so slightly.

[Grenartia]

What the fuck?

Was all Alyssa could think, as in rapid succession, the boat hit a wall, and Tefford abandoned them all and literally jumped ship. Amidst the bickering teenage chaos, she could hear someone speaking up.

Maurice Williamson

“And I need to know if anyone here can fly,” he added with a sigh. “It’s risky, but we need to know what’s waiting for us at the base before we get there.”

She sat still for a moment, feeling utterly useless. About the only thing she could probably do with powers is block the Kraken from grabbing people. "Best I can do for recon is probably hold a phone in midair while it shoots video. But I only have about a 30ft range", she spoke up.

[Theyra]

Connor Vale

He left, he freaking left us for what, not wanting to see if we could break through the barrier. Why would Tefford abandon them for wanting to get past the barrier and literately swim all the way back to shore? He does remember that there is a tentacle monster lurking in the waters around the island right? Seriously why would he rather swim back then try to beach the barrier of convinced the group not to go through with it. Guess that shows how much he is willing to deal with the group or how easy it is for him to admit defeat. Connor wondered if how much they can really count on Tefford in their case if he gives up so easily.

As he watched Tefford swin back and slowly lose sight of him. The argument behind him made him turn around and he listened to what was said. Connor was in the camp of breaking through the barriers, his hands still glowed with blue energy ready to be sent to see if it can dent the barrier. Seriously, they were told that staying on the island would mean their deaths and after going though of this trouble of stealing a boat and escaping a tentacle monster just to give up now? Why go back and possibly face their deaths or worse. Connor's body shook at the thought.

As tensions were raised among the group. It became very clear that most wanted to return to the island despite the danger it posed to them. Fire slowly started to grow in him, that is so stupid he thought. We can escape and they want to return and make this all for nothing. Watching as even Allison who was ready to bring the wall down concede to the others. He grinned his teeth, so this is it, we are heading back. Connor knew that he would not be able to convice the others of breaking through now. "Frickin A", he said under his breath and sent one last defiant burst of blue energy at the wall. Then the blue energy around his hands slowly fades before it vanished. Turn towards Ascot and Maurice, coldly speaking, "If anything happens to us I will blame both of you. Going back and giving up like Tefford is a mistake and I guess we will see if this will bite us in the end".

[Dragos Bee]

Ascot Rider

“Thank you,” said Ascot. “I promise you, if we all survive, I’ll find a way to pay you back, Allison.”

Then to Connor, Ascot said, “You’re free to blame me if anything does happen, then. But on the off-chance that everything ends up okay and we survive, and that beyond the wall lies a ton of rocks, a ton of water, or even the vacuum of space, then you owe me a favor. And did you think I wanted this to be the final decision, Connor? If you’ve not noticed, I’ve been trying to get a team going for weeks now, only to find people not interested, my approaches unwanted, and people instead acting like crabs in a bucket or rats in a sinking ship!

“Right now, I’m trying to save as many lives as possible and create a coherent unit, and have even given up all hopes of being the leader of said ‘unit’ to someone else,” he meant Maurice, “In order to ensure that as many of us are on the same page as possible!”

Ascot was huffing now. “Do you realize what my other course of action was? If I had gone along with Allison and got Nikolai, Nikita, and you on my side, we’d have seized control of the ship and no one could have done anything about it. Problem is, even if there was safety beyond the wall, we’d have made the majority of the group hate us and be out for our throats!”

He tilted his head to the side and said, “So we’re going back and we probably are already going back. We will meet up with those of us who chose not to go and use the element of surprise to finally eke out a victory. And we will win - We will win if we can just not step on each other’s feet for a moment.”

[Talchyon]

The boat
Kristen Lane

Seeing Mr. Tefford dive off the boat and start swimming back startled Kristen, and then made her stunned and sad. Sad, of all things. Last summer, she wouldn't have cared one bit about anyone on that boat. Absorbed in her little selfish world, caring only about herself and very little else, they all could have contracted malaria and died horrendously, and she would have been puzzled, shocked maybe, but secretly thankful she didn't hang out with any of them and not likely to get it. But not sad.

Now? Now, after struggling to escape a terror that had secretly been trying to hunt them down, that had lied about everything, that had mindwiped practically the entire school and somehow managed to also edit the camera footage, that had risen classmates who had literally died at the dance?! After narrowly escaping a legitimate monster that had almost drowned them, and getting the moment of clarity that realized that her speed might help save their lives? And Tefford, Tobias, or whoever he was had abandoned them instead...

And she was sad. Sad for him, above all. Sad that he was choosing to go it alone and face whatever monster might be there. Sad that it had taken her so long to get out of her self-absorption.

After their former principal dove into the water and started swimming back, though, everyone else erupted in anger and fighting on the boat. Each had their own ideas. Each wanted to go their own way. Ascot was right - they needed to stick together.

During the fighting, Kristen heard the suggestion about getting pictures of the wall that was now missing its camouflage to show to others. She got her phone out and took several pics, closeups as well as larger shots. It wasn't professional quality but it would do. She thought about getting a video, but didn't think she wanted a recording of the fight going on.

Jack was making his way to get the boat out of there. Allison and Ascot were both capable of breaking through. Marcel was furious, and it seemed like his anger was fueling his smoke power. Like it was more concentrated now then it had been! Curious! Maurice was upset and raising conspiracy theories. Connor was bitter. And even though she agreed with Ascot that they should stick together, she also agreed that they should break through the barrier.

The moment she could get a word in edgewise, Kristen spoke up. In a smaller, quieter voice to hopefully calm everyone down.
"Guys. If I may," Kristen paused a little so that people might take a breather and turn her way. The former sprinter continued in the calm, level voice as the heads turned towards her.

"Guys, as much as I like the idea of going home, do you really think our boat could survive an encounter with one of those monsters? And we'd be lucky to come back and find only one monster in our way. There were several of those sentry creatures out there. Let's face it - unless anyone here has the super ability of repairing boats quickly at sea, going back isn't safe. Can't see how much more hits our boat can take without us losing it. Now, I know I can swim a bit. Maybe fast enough to outswim one of those things. But that's a big maybe. But I definitely can't shoot rocket arms at any of them and hope to swim at the same time. So if we go back? I'm not expecting to make it, personally.

"I realize you're afraid. That's ok. Everyone is afraid. I'm afraid. And honestly? I think that's where they want us. Cowering in fear. Going our own way. So they can take us down one by one. Well, I won't be afraid any longer. Life is too short for fear. Fear separates us all, and it was only by sticking together that we got this far. My speed was doing diddly against those things. But your attacks were. Each of you were doing things. Allison's strength. Nikolai's ice. Ascot's axe. Alyssa steering. Connor's energy. The - I don't know what they were exactly - spirit attacks? All of us came together, and that's the reason we're all alive. And then I started kicking. I stepped up and used my abilities to help you. And all of you helped out too, even if it was moral support. And I would do it again in a heartbeat, if you needed it.

"Well, we need it now. We need that same kind of support for each other. It's time to put all that aside. Or it's die alone. Now, I don't know what's behind this wall. No clue. But I know what's behind us. And our boat doesn't stand a chance against those things. One, maybe two hits? And we're toast. I'd rather take my chances on the wall and getting out of this cage.

"You guys remember earlier this summer at the beach party Atalia threw, before school started? And there was this guy that washed up on the shore with all these weird wounds? We didn't know what caused it at the time. Now I'm wondering. Still don't know who that guy was. But I think I know who he was. He was one of us. A person with abilities. And he went his own way. He went all by himself without a group. And either the tentacle monsters got him, or they did.

"So if you guys are really insistent on going back, I'll go. I'll be shocked if we make it back alive. But I'll go. I'll try to kick us some more speed again, if that's helpful. But I'm tired of looking out only for myself. We have a gift, and right now we need to use it to watch out for each other... I invite you to join me..." She trailed off quietly.

---

On the deck, in his backyard
Rashaad Pennel

Rashaad Pennel

The men and women Rashaad had lifted up didn't seem particularly concerned at being lifted up. That probably wasn't a good sign. After a long, thoughtful, pause, the one who seemed to be the leader spoke up again, "Alright kid, I'll tell you what you want to know," he said, his voice muffled by from behind the suit he was wearing. There was a sudden crunching noise and his head fell back at an unnatural angle. Something seemed to be writhing inside the confines of the suit's headpiece, as if there was something in there other than the man. The wriggling stopped and something small and sharp sliced at the fabric at the back of his head. Blood dripped down onto the wheelchair. Something was moving up there. Then, without any further warning something that looked a lot like a small black eel launched itself at Rashaad's face with an angry hiss...

Red flags went up in Rashaad's head the moment no one struggled. Too passive. As if they had previously seen others with the same kind of psionic tentacles he had, and could care less about them. And then, when Rashaad thought he had seen it all, the guys in the suits surprised him. "The hell?" he said as the bones of the leader snapped and something was struggling to get out of his body. Were these even people? Rashaad said to himself, "It's like the movie Aliens decided they needed to come to life!"

And then the... man's?... head snapped back, as if it were a canister that was transporting something arcane... And suddenly, something dark that sounded like a snake flung itself towards him! Rashaad's eyes got huge, and he conjured up his remaining two mind tentacles to block the direct path to him. If that thing got anywhere close to him, it would be bound up just like the suits were. Whether or not they were actually living people. Meanwhile, his hands on his motorized chair, Rashaad mentally cursed himself for not switching to his lighter, more agile chair that he did all his tricks in. He could scoot away and go down the ramp into the grass just fine. But speed and agility was the furthest thing possible in that.

Lashing out at what seemed to be the dark eel, Rashaad could only hope he reached it before it reached him.

[Europa Undivided]

Trials and Tribulations

" I'm...glad that you're ok. I'd hate to see you get hurt again with me nearby. " Allison said, still staring out at the water. " You know..." She paused as she looked at him. " ...you still manage to impress me during all this shit. You're always at the front of everything, being brave and taking action. It's...pretty cool. " Allison said, unaware of herself blushing ever so slightly.

Nikolai's breathing became funny for a moment as a bit of frost began to creep on the railings, though he managed to keep it all under control and receded the crawling ice that he had brought into existence back into his hands. The boy just ignored the commotion on the rest of the boat, and focused on the girl that was a year younger than himself, but still a few good inches taller.

Sighing, he leaned back on the railings, looking at Allison with those eyes of grey. "Yeah...", he began, rubbing his gloved hands together for a moment to calm his erratic nerves. "I'm really glad that you're, you know, here. Not because you are strong, or mightier than my good old self." He bowed slightly, shaking a bit as he was never sure of what to say next, or what course of action to take. "I'm just... you know. You're here. I'm here.", he said, gesturing to both himself and Allison. "We're here. I... uhm, how do I say this... thank you for being impressed, I guess. I just do what I think is for the betterment of all of us here." Nikolai slightly laughed at the last bit, as he never thought of himself as a collectivist. He was always someone with an undying desire to be independent, but time has proven again and again that no man can be an island. Hell, he was completely inseparable from his brother, for crying out loud. Only God knows what he would do to someone that tried to hurt Nikita, given that he had these cryogenic powers of yore...

"You know.", Nikolai continued. "I am very thankful that you have always tried to be a good friend, that you are always looking out of for me. That's really sweet, I guess."

A pause. And then a realization.

Nikolai held her hand, though she would feel only warmth from his own hands and none of the cold that he exuded all the time. "There is something I should tell you. Something I should have said a long time-"

"Guys. If I may,"

The boy looked over at Kristen, a little disappointed that he wasn't able to do his... confession. But what she said was of critical usefulness, and more importantly, inspiring. That was exactly what everyone needed; a level voice in the midst of chaos and confusion.

I invite you to join me..."

"Bravo.", Nikita, the technopathic brother, quietly said as he slowly nodded. "Good to have someone to get us all in the same page." A pause. "She's right... we need to do this in unison. A house divided against itself will fall. And a boat will fall harder." He was glad to see a voice of reason amongst them, and would always respect Kristen for her initiative. Now, just to go back...

Nikolai looked back at Allison, and exhaled, presumably to prepare to say something. "I need to tell you this... this thing. In case we do get... I don't even want to think about it. But, if worse comes to worst, I just want you to know that... I've always liked you, Allison Clark. Ever since... we met. I was a sophomore, and you, well, a fresh entry to the high school."

He exhaled, nervous of what her response would be. "Too much?", he chuckled, and then fell silent with a smile on his face.

Meanwhile, Erika had been watching them the whole time. She was proud; proud that her pathetic frost bound friend was now capable of expressing his feelings. A little rain cloud still danced on her hand, listening on Nikolai and Allison. Will this be a friend zone or something good?

[Fegun]

Marcel

Maurice Williamson

Even with the group starting to acquiesce to his plan, Maurice was still livid at the opposition, quietly shooting daggers at Marcel and Nikolai. Now was not the time to argue, and it wasn't like any of them were coming up with anything more viable than his plan. As far as he was concerned, everyone else was a goddamned idiot at the moment, and Ascot and Nikolai's rapid acceptance of his plan just proved it to him.

"You know what?" Maurice asked as he glanced over Allison before returning his attention to Marcel, "You can fucking try to break the damned wall. I'll give you five minutes to get as far through it as you possibly can." Throwning his hands up, he then motioned to the concrete barrier, "If you think your plan is better than mine, prove it. Just remember that we ultimately need a hole big enough to get the damned boat through. I don't think any of us want to swim to mainland in October, assuming we're even actually near the U.S."

Despite Allison's and Twin's warning to just listen Marcel couldn't get over the way Maruice looked at him. Almost like condensation formed from the blood of wounded pride taunted him. "Now listen here napoleon, I don't know when it got into your head that you're right all the time but I'm sure as hell not here for your shit. Everyone's think they got shit figured out but no one wants to fucking admit that this is all fucked and then you're condescending acting like you're fucking smarting than me is sure as hell not making it better," marcel stopped dangerously for a moment flexing his arm in anticipation only for his attention to be taken away by Ascot's sudden drive to pull an axe and protect Jack's decision. He looked from Maurice, to Ascot, to Jack and grumbled to himself stuffing his hands in his pockets. "I've been spending my whole life trapped in some way for god knows how long and I finally get a chance to take my freedom into my own hands when it's spit back into my face," He softened his glare for a moment knowing that he wasn't fighting anyone with an axe and two he didn't like the heat in his throat. He turned his face a way and bit his lip and screwed his eyes shut.

The boat Kristen Lane


The moment she could get a word in edgewise, Kristen spoke up. In a smaller, quieter voice to hopefully calm everyone down.
"Guys. If I may," Kristen paused a little so that people might take a breather and turn her way. The former sprinter continued in the calm, level voice as the heads turned towards her.

"Guys, as much as I like the idea of going home, do you really think our boat could survive an encounter with one of those monsters? And we'd be lucky to come back and find only one monster in our way. There were several of those sentry creatures out there. Let's face it - unless anyone here has the super ability of repairing boats quickly at sea, going back isn't safe. Can't see how much more hits our boat can take without us losing it. Now, I know I can swim a bit. Maybe fast enough to outswim one of those things. But that's a big maybe. But I definitely can't shoot rocket arms at any of them and hope to swim at the same time. So if we go back? I'm not expecting to make it, personally.

"I realize you're afraid. That's ok. Everyone is afraid. I'm afraid. And honestly? I think that's where they want us. Cowering in fear. Going our own way. So they can take us down one by one. Well, I won't be afraid any longer. Life is too short for fear. Fear separates us all, and it was only by sticking together that we got this far. My speed was doing diddly against those things. But your attacks were. Each of you were doing things. Allison's strength. Nikolai's ice. Ascot's axe. Alyssa steering. Connor's energy. The - I don't know what they were exactly - spirit attacks? All of us came together, and that's the reason we're all alive. And then I started kicking. I stepped up and used my abilities to help you. And all of you helped out too, even if it was moral support. And I would do it again in a heartbeat, if you needed it.

"Well, we need it now. We need that same kind of support for each other. It's time to put all that aside. Or it's die alone. Now, I don't know what's behind this wall. No clue. But I know what's behind us. And our boat doesn't stand a chance against those things. One, maybe two hits? And we're toast. I'd rather take my chances on the wall and getting out of this cage.

"You guys remember earlier this summer at the beach party Atalia threw, before school started? And there was this guy that washed up on the shore with all these weird wounds? We didn't know what caused it at the time. Now I'm wondering. Still don't know who that guy was. But I think I know who he was. He was one of us. A person with abilities. And he went his own way. He went all by himself without a group. And either the tentacle monsters got him, or they did.

"So if you guys are really insistent on going back, I'll go. I'll be shocked if we make it back alive. But I'll go. I'll try to kick us some more speed again, if that's helpful. But I'm tired of looking out only for myself. We have a gift, and right now we need to use it to watch out for each other... I invite you to join me..." She trailed off quietly.

---

[/quote]

Then Kristen gave her speech and Marcel couldn't help but to listen. It wasn't some kind magnificent or grand call to arms against some enemy or societal injustice, no it was an humble yet confident ask for help. For the whole group to get together and put aside their differences and just help each other. Well Marcel was a sucker for that shit even if it felt cliched as hell, and as always her reasoning was sound. Jeez I must've looked really dumb in front of her, He shook his head of that thought and chastised himself to focus on the moment. He gave a look to Maurice of reluctant acceptance, "I'm not apologizing for anything I said, ^{(you're still the shorter version of an egocentric napoleon)} but from now on I'll try to be far more agreeable and productive. But only because I'd rather not leave the people I like here out to dry..." Marcel walked off toward Kristen offering a fist bump, "if you go, I'm with you."

[Dyelli Beybi]

Connor Vale

...

"Frickin A", he said under his breath and sent one last defiant burst of blue energy at the wall. Then the blue energy around his hands slowly fades before it vanished. Turn towards Ascot and Maurice, coldly speaking, "If anything happens to us I will blame both of you. Going back and giving up like Tefford is a mistake and I guess we will see if this will bite us in the end".

Connor's bolt hit the wall. There was no, ostensible damage, at least not to start with, though after a long pause, there was a discernible groan that came from the wall and seemed to shudder all the way up to the heavens. A little concrete dust slithered down the side, then suddenly there was a hole, no larger than the diameter of the head of a pen, though it made an audible whooshing sound, like the air from the town was being sucked into the darkness on the far side.

The bolt hadn't done much damage, but when added to a collision with a boat and the damage from the earlier attack, it was beginning to fail. Apparently it hadn't been built to withstand attack and Connor's bolt had been the straw to break the camel's back. What was on the other side was a mystery, though it appeared to open into some kind of dark, interior space.

[Kylantha]

---

Harper Holiday

---

Cant... Sleep...

Although cozy in bed, with pyjamas, Harper couldn't drift off into his dreamworld. Instead he was laid there on his side, squirming in visible discomfort as he tried to will himself to sleep. But like an elusive beast, sleep simply would not come to him. A few more minutes passed before Harper shot up into a seated position and slammed his hands into the bed beneath him. He then quickly flipped around, grabbed his pillow with both hands, and drove his face into it.

"MMMRRRRGGGHHH!" The sound of pure exasperation was muffled by the pillow, and didn't carry. Harper would have liked to make such a sound without the filter, but he didn't want to wake his grandparents up. Not at this hour. That only frustrated him more. It was very rare for him to express such annoyance as this, but he needed to control himself. And so, with little more than a drawn out sigh, he drew his face back from the pillow and allowed it to fall limply across his folded legs. The boy stayed in place for about a minute before slowly turning his head towards his door, slightly ajar, and clambering clumsily off the bed towards it.

I guess I could get a snack. Maybe watch some TV. Might as well. he thought, as he realised how quickly he was moving and placed a hand on the doorframe for support. With his other hand he pulled his door open, allowing light from the hallway to wash into the room, and he squinted, quickly shielding his eyes. Was that lamp always that bright? He didn't stop to try and remember, passing it by and dragging his feet as he did so..

Downstairs was dark. He had to feel around to turn the dim living room lights on before proceeding. There was now a strange orange-ish glow in the room which penetrated weakly into the kitchen where Harper was going. Feeling only a tad drowsy and still irritated, Harper intended to eat quite a bit in order to feel better, not currently considering what his grandparents would think or say if they saw him. Aggressively pulling the fridge door open, he peered inside, grumbling as the little man inside flashed the light right in his eyes. Harper reached in with both hands, using the rest of his body to keep the fridge open. One hand covered the lamp, and the other probed around for snacks. There was some cake. He took that out. Next came the freezer, from which he pulled out a tub of ice cream. It was frozen over though, and would need to be opened with care. Now with both those things in hand, Harper stepped back and turned towards the counter, kicking the fridge door shut. It was fine, he knew it didn't make too much of a sound anyway.

Harper placed both on the kitchen counter. He liked both of these things, but it didn't show at the moment. He looked just as annoyed as he felt. Slightly puckered lips, furrowed brows.. Yep. Maybe a taste of both would help, was his next thought. So he went to do just that. The plastic cover of the cake snapped open, allowing the boy access. Fork in hand, he first shaved a bit of the icing off the top, licking it off before going for the rest of it. That alleviated his irritation at least. But it wasn't quite enough. Now there was no cake... But there was ice cream. Strawberry ice cream.

Ooh la la~

Knowing that his grandparents weren't interested in it, Harper considered eating it all. That made him happy, but the frustration seemed to flood back into his tired mind as he realised that something was hindering him. Right. The cover was thick with ice, and it wouldn't budge.

"Dangit." Harper brought the container a bit hard on the counter. He paused, hoping it didn't make too loud of a sound. When there was no indication that he was going to be busted, Harper continued. The tub cupped in both hands, he moved over to the sink to let it thaw a bit under running water. From there he could see out onto the street through the checkered curtains. It was all quiet as usual. But it wouldn't be for long, for tonight was a special night.

---

While watching the ice disappear from the cover, Harper used his left hand to play with the tap water a little bit, making it dance. Even now it was amazing to him how he could do this. It was really freaking cool. And knowing that his powers were getting stronger (though he didn't know how) there was a growing confidence in him that eventually he could do more with this.. Gift. More good, hopefully. Sadly, there was also fear. Fear and uncertainty and doubt. All three played around in his head, knocking him over every time he got to feeling good about himself. And here they were again, right on cue. Harper let the water go.

Suddenly, something caught Harper's eye. He looked up as a vague shaped darted past. Gently, he set the container back down into the sink, then turned the tap off. He leaned in closer to the window to get a better look. Not long after, there came the sound of heavy footfalls. Someone was running up, and soon they came into view. Two people that Harper thought he recognised, at full pelt down the street. Harper wrinkled his nose at the sight. They couldn't possibly be up to any good at this time of night, he thought. Best turn the lights out before they notice and decide to mess with his house. Before the blonde youth could go and do that however, Harper saw why the couple were running. The same furry things that had interrupted the Harvest Ball. Harper's eyes widened, and his grip on the edge of the counter tightened suddenly. As one stopped and turned to look straight at the boy, he dropped behind the counter, chest rising and falling rapidly as fear quickly took over.

"Oh god, oh god..." Dreading the idea of being trapped in the kitchen when they came in, Harper dove forward and crawled into the living room. Tears quickly blurred his view, stinging his eyes. He needed to stop behind the dingy old couch sitting diagonally in the living room to wipe them away with his sleeves. He needed to calm down and think. This was no time to freeze up. His grandparents were here, and now they were in danger too!

Just before he got dizzy, Harper worked to slow his breathing down and relax. Finally, he released some of the tension and slumped forward slightly. He'd been pressed so hard into the back of the couch that there was now a slight indent of his shape in it. Ignoring that though, he cautiously reached out with a shivering hand to the phone on the small table nearby. He was still terrified, so much so that he didn't even wonder why none of the bloodthirsty canids hadn't burst into the house and ripped him to shreds.

It took several attempts before Harper could calm himself down enough to phone the police. He quickly explained his situation and asked for help between loud sobs, but all the evidently annoyed dispatcher did was tell him to calm down and stay inside while they send someone to have a look. They didn't stay on the line for long however, and hung up, leaving Harper confused and abandoned. Were they actually coming at all?

After about 45 minutes, it didn't seem like they were. Harper could hear some of the creatures out in the yard. They didn't seem to be doing much other than sniffing about and shoving each other around. Eventually, Harper gathered up enough courage to make his way up the stairs and back to his room, being careful to stay quiet as he did so. He was pretty sure that if he made any noise, the creatures would come right in and attack. He then began to wonder if it was his powers that drew these purple-furred evils here. Maybe he was the reason they were sticking around? The thought of it made him emotional once more, and he worried that his grandparents might never be safe if he remained here. Though they were tough and likely wouldn't back down from a fight, Harper didn't want to see them hurt or dead. He needed to bug out and do something. That's when he remembered the fleeing lot from earlier. He remembered which way they were going. I need to get to them.

So, Harper quickly got dressed. Just a shirt, a jacket, scarf and bonnet, pants, and boots. He gathered some extra clothes and tools he thought might be important, and just before stepping out of his room he decided to take his stuffed cuttlefish with him. A comforting memory from when his parents still lived. After that, he took one last tearful look into his grandparents room. He was going to leave them again. This time however, he didn't know if he was coming back.. It was hard to tear himself away from the room, but he managed to do it. Slowly and carefully, he crept back downstairs, stifling his sobs as he did so. This was both the most terrifying and most courageous thing he had ever done. It was possibly the dumbest as well.

It seemed that the beasts were keen on hanging around. The safest way out would be through the back. There weren't any of them out there. Slowly, Harper tiptoed across the lawn, hoping that the creatures wouldn't pick up on the crunching of grass beneath his boots. And once he'd made it across the backyard, he grabbed his grandda's baseball bat, stuffing it into his bag, and scaled the fence. That finally got the creature's attention, and Harper was quick to realise this. He yelped rather loudly as he went the way those two did earlier, not seeming to notice how he didn't feel tired at all despite being weighed down.

"Oh my god, HELP!" Harper screamed after glancing over his shoulder and realising just how many of the damn things there were now. He was going to die. He was going to die a horrible death tonight. Unless he acted quickly. Tears still flowed freely from his eyes, and his voice was hoarse from screaming. But his body seemed to act on his own to preserve him, and he took a hard left off the street and into someone else's yard. There was a brick wall, but after only moments inside it was clear that the creatures could scale it. Harper continued into the next street, the same that Atalia, Eren, and Leo had just run down. That seemed to be a mistake though, as there seemed to be a gathering of them at the house at the end of the road. But at the same time, Harper could see three people out in the open, appearing ready for battle.

Some of the purple creatures turned to face Harper, bringing him to a full stop. In response, he turned left again, to the house on the corner and quickly made his way up onto the roof above the deck. At this point he finally came to understand that the creatures weren't really that thirsty for his blood, as they didn't follow him up. They simply gathered around below him as well, giving him a moment of reprieve. He collapsed backwards onto the roof tiles, dislodging a few, and cried. What the hell was he actually doing? In his emotion, he almost forgot about the three down below, who were probably surprised and confused by his sudden appearance before them. He did gather the attention of some of the crowd, but.. Also brought another.

[Lessoni]

The bolt hadn't done much damage, but when added to a collision with a boat and the damage from the earlier attack, it was beginning to fail. Apparently it hadn't been built to withstand attack and Connor's bolt had been the straw to break the camel's back. What was on the other side was a mystery, though it appeared to open into some kind of dark, interior space.

Jack Brekker

So they could break through. Great. That was never Jack’s problem though. He’d noticed, well enough, what with the nice bolt of energy to guide his eyes, but he didn’t think anyone else had. But he made a choice. They weren’t being sucked toward the hole, at least not aggressively. Meaning it was at least partially safe.

Ah, fuck me.

He stopped trying to move the boat. He walked to the edge, pointing at the hole. “I hate to admit it, might’ve been wrong. That hole isn’t killing us. Yet. Ah, fuck me...”

He leaned over the side of the boat, sticking his head through the wall. He meant to peek the other side of this thing, if he could.

[Theyra]

Ascot Rider

Connor Vale

Connor chose to be silent as Ascot angrily said his piece about trying to save as much of them as he can. Along with trying to be a stable unit. But, who knows what the military has in store for them when they return. Connor simply sighed and his gaze turned from the group and towards the way back to the island. Looking defeated, well guess we will see what happens next, he thought. Rescuing the others from the military is a noble venture. Who knows what is happening to them at the military base and it would be nice to see them free. Just the how, they are just kids. Well, kids with superpowers but, as far as he can tell. His powers can not stop a bullet. So what can they do while keeping the military not suspicious of them? So many unknown variables but, as they are not going to see if they can break through the wall. Connor can only hope for the best.

The boat
Kristen Lane

Connor listened to what Kristen said, her speech. It was different then Maruice and Ascot's speeches. More about coming together and helping each other then what the other two were saying. In a way, it made him feel better. They did come together to attack that tentacle beast and it did work well enough. Minus the damage to the boat and all. Maybe he should place some faith in these people. They are all in this together after all and once he calmed down. Connor felt kinda bad for what he said not enough to apologize. Not yet at least and turned halfway towards her and spoke to her meekly. "Aura energy or I think it is aura energy". Shaking his head like he is shaking off dust, he turned fully towards her. "That I can get behind that Kristen" and he moved to her side of the boat. Like he was choosing a side and meekly said to the group. "Let's just work togehter and find to save some people and maybe find a way of this island".

Snip

Connor turned to his full attention towards the now cracked concrete wall. "Uh, so it can be cracked". Saying it so a matter of factly and started to wonder real fast why the hole making a whooshing sound. "Wait, why is that hole making that sound? Sounding confused, its just concrete wall blocking them and it should not like a air is rushing through it right? What could be causing that and as he started to guess. He saw Jack peel into the hole. "What do you see Jack? Sounding curious, "can you see what is on the other side?

[Nachfolgia]

Sighing, he leaned back on the railings, looking at Allison with those eyes of grey. "Yeah...", he began, rubbing his gloved hands together for a moment to calm his erratic nerves. "I'm really glad that you're, you know, here. Not because you are strong, or mightier than my good old self." He bowed slightly, shaking a bit as he was never sure of what to say next, or what course of action to take. "I'm just... you know. You're here. I'm here.", he said, gesturing to both himself and Allison. "We're here. I... uhm, how do I say this... thank you for being impressed, I guess. I just do what I think is for the betterment of all of us here." Nikolai slightly laughed at the last bit, as he never thought of himself as a collectivist. He was always someone with an undying desire to be independent, but time has proven again and again that no man can be an island. Hell, he was completely inseparable from his brother, for crying out loud. Only God knows what he would do to someone that tried to hurt Nikita, given that he had these cryogenic powers of yore...

"You know.", Nikolai continued. "I am very thankful that you have always tried to be a good friend, that you are always looking out of for me. That's really sweet, I guess."

Allison Clark

Allison was a little concerned for Nikolai's health as he talked to her. He was red in the face and sweating heavily, on top of his ragged breathes. He seemed kinda nervous which concerned her greatly. What did he have to be nervous about? He never acted like that around her before all this stuff went down with the powers and monsters. She knew how terrifying their lives were now and wondered if he was going to be alright.

Looking like he was about to pass out again, Allison grabbed him and was about to say something when Nikolai did something she did not expect.

Nikolai held her hand, though she would feel only warmth from his own hands and none of the cold that he exuded all the time.

Allison felt something touch her hand and when she looked down, he saw Nikolai's hand holding her own. This was different than a mere handshake they've had before. This one was soft, warm, and caring, like that of a partner. The thought caused her to blush and look at Nikolai, her heart racing unlike any time before. He seemed to be confused and shocked as well by what had happened.

Instead of instinctively pulling away from him, she held her hand there and actually grabbed his in return. She wasn't sure why she was still holding his hand, unable to process what was happening between them. All she knew was that it felt kinda nice.

... I've always liked you, Allison Clark.

Nikolai's subsequent love confession to her, threw Allison for a loop. She had no idea he liked her for that long and never said anything. She has hung out with him and Nikita on multiple occasions and just thought they were good friends. This sudden revelation caused Allison to become even more flustered than before, her face red and heart beating rapidly.

She never had anyone confess any kind of love towards her
before and she didn't know how to process it. It was obvious what her feelings were and she just needed time to collect herself. She let go of his hand and placed both hands on her hips as she took in some breaths to calm down.

" Oh wow..." She took in a breath. " I uhhh...was not expecting that. " She paused again to wipe off her now sweaty hands. The sweat coming off her forehead from her flustered demeanor was mixing with the black ichor on her face, turning it black. " I'm having trouble processing this...being the first time. I guess...I kinda...like you as well." She was having trouble looking at him directly, nervous about the whole situation. She was genuinely acting like a shy girl in this situation that has made her virtually vulnerable.

" You're smart, funny...and brave. You've...uhhh...shown good strength I guess." Allison wasn't sure what to say, having not done this before. To avoid saying anything else weird and stupid, Allison, against her usual self, brought him in for a close hug. She squeezed him right, but not too tight to avoid crushing him.

" I guess this means we're boyfriend and girlfriend, right?" Allison whispered into his ear as she still held him tight. " This whole situation is wild as fuck." Allison added, chuckling a bit.

[Frisct the II]

-snip-

Leo Walker
While they were backing inside of Atalia’s house, Leo heard a scream from down the way they came. After a little bit, this was followed by the appearance of Harper, someone Leo had known of but didn’t really know all that well. Admittedly, a lot of shocking things were happening that night so this little extra didn’t stress him out too much. What did add on to this however was the new group of monsters he brought along to their location.

Think dammit! Think! You can get up there to him, but how would you get him and yourself back with the group? He could try to grab on to him and try to bring him through collapsed space, but that was something he had never tried before and was quite unsure of whether it would work or not. Well, there’s always a first time for everything, He thought as he got some nervous chills before steeling himself for what he was about to do but what’s the point in having power if you don’t try to help people with it?

He turned to Eren and Atalia and spoke. “You guys are meeting at the other door right? I can get up there to Harper and get him back to the other side of the house without too much trouble...probably. Whatever you’re going to do inside, make it quick if possible and meet us at the other door.”

Leo shook his head in an attempt to clear his mind. This was something more dangerous than anything else he had ever done, but now was not the time for cowardice. He looked up to the roof where Harper was and, without so much as a sound or even a slight movement, he was suddenly on the roof.

Harper would probably be surprised by this, especially with how stressful the situation was. He tried to speak to him softly in case the monsters were smarter than they let on. “Hey, I don’t know much about you but I still want to help. If we can get to the other side of the house and regroup with the other two, we can make it out of here.”

[Dyelli Beybi]

Atalia Bayer

-snip-

Leo Walker
While they were backing inside of Atalia’s house, Leo heard a scream from down the way they came. After a little bit, this was followed by the appearance of Harper, someone Leo had known of but didn’t really know all that well. Admittedly, a lot of shocking things were happening that night so this little extra didn’t stress him out too much. What did add on to this however was the new group of monsters he brought along to their location.

Think dammit! Think! You can get up there to him, but how would you get him and yourself back with the group? He could try to grab on to him and try to bring him through collapsed space, but that was something he had never tried before and was quite unsure of whether it would work or not. Well, there’s always a first time for everything, He thought as he got some nervous chills before steeling himself for what he was about to do but what’s the point in having power if you don’t try to help people with it?

He turned to Eren and Atalia and spoke. “You guys are meeting at the other door right? I can get up there to Harper and get him back to the other side of the house without too much trouble...probably. Whatever you’re going to do inside, make it quick if possible and meet us at the other door.”

Leo shook his head in an attempt to clear his mind. This was something more dangerous than anything else he had ever done, but now was not the time for cowardice. He looked up to the roof where Harper was and, without so much as a sound or even a slight movement, he was suddenly on the roof.

Harper would probably be surprised by this, especially with how stressful the situation was. He tried to speak to him softly in case the monsters were smarter than they let on. “Hey, I don’t know much about you but I still want to help. If we can get to the other side of the house and regroup with the other two, we can make it out of here.”

"Eren, run to Rashaad's place," Atalia seemed to have decided she was taking charge. The house was dark inside, though Atalia spoke quietly, apparently worried about waking her sleeping parents, "Leo, go and get Harper once the creatures come in my direction. I'll create a distraction, then follow after Eren. Eren, if you can do anything to slow them down, that would be helpful. We'll all rendezvous at Rashaad's place and then at least we'll be together."

She motioned for Eren to follow her as she tiptoed to the front door, glancing nervously up the dark staircase before quietly opening the door and stepping back out into the night, closing it softly behind Eren, before motioning for him to head back in the direction they had come. There didn't seem to be any of the purple creatures in his way. Not yet anyway. Atalia, meanwhile walked back around to the rear of her house, notching an arrow to her bow as she did.

A moment later she loosed, impaling one of the creatures, pinning it to the ground, before drawing and loosing again. She was quick and deadly accurate, but even so, by the time she'd loosed a third arrow, the creatures had turned as a mass. She looked at them as they began to lope towards her. Clutching her bow in a vice-like grip, Atalia ran, luring the pack away again, leaving only two or three bailing Harper up. Hopefully it was enough of a distraction to allow Leo to get the young boy to safety...

She stumbled briefly as she tried to vault the gate, but she was fast enough now to outpace the creatures and was able to right herself before they could grab her, though she lost one of her arrows, leaving only two in the quiver. Atalia was, if anything, faster than she had been before, her pace fuelled by fear. Fear that Leo or Harper would get chomped on during the rescue, fear that the creatures would overrun Erin, but mostly fear that she had delayed too long and something has happened to Rashaad.

---

Rashaad Pennel

Red flags went up in Rashaad's head the moment no one struggled. Too passive. As if they had previously seen others with the same kind of psionic tentacles he had, and could care less about them. And then, when Rashaad thought he had seen it all, the guys in the suits surprised him. "The hell?" he said as the bones of the leader snapped and something was struggling to get out of his body. Were these even people? Rashaad said to himself, "It's like the movie Aliens decided they needed to come to life!"

And then the... man's?... head snapped back, as if it were a canister that was transporting something arcane... And suddenly, something dark that sounded like a snake flung itself towards him! Rashaad's eyes got huge, and he conjured up his remaining two mind tentacles to block the direct path to him. If that thing got anywhere close to him, it would be bound up just like the suits were. Whether or not they were actually living people. Meanwhile, his hands on his motorized chair, Rashaad mentally cursed himself for not switching to his lighter, more agile chair that he did all his tricks in. He could scoot away and go down the ramp into the grass just fine. But speed and agility was the furthest thing possible in that.

Lashing out at what seemed to be the dark eel, Rashaad could only hope he reached it before it reached him.

The eel creatured writhed in the air, slipping past the flashing tentacles like it had been greased. It fell mouth first, sinking sharp fangs deep into Rashaad's shoulder. Almost immediately Rashaad would feel his arms begin to go numb and heavy as his head to spin. The bite didn't hurt, not for much longer than a second, though his brain was becoming rapidly encased in a deep, confused fog as the horrid creature slithered around his neck, drawing it's head up to look down at him as the ability to resist it's designs began to fade and the tentacles begin to fade from existence, releasing the soldiers from his grip...

---

Jack Brekker stares into the abyss...

Jack Brekker

...

Ah, fuck me.

He stopped trying to move the boat. He walked to the edge, pointing at the hole. “I hate to admit it, might’ve been wrong. That hole isn’t killing us. Yet. Ah, fuck me...”

He leaned over the side of the boat, sticking his head through the wall. He meant to peek the other side of this thing, if he could.

The wall was not all that thick, though even as Jack moved to put his head through it, more of it seemed to crumble and flake away, flowing out into the darkness on the far side. Slowly but surely the hole was growing...

Sticking his head through to the far side was, potentially, depending upon how powerful Jack had become, a terrible mistake. There was nothing on the far side but freezing darkness and somewhere, out in the vast emptiness, small pinpricks of light. Hundreds, no thousands of stars glimmering in the deep darkness of the void of space. There was no Atlantic Ocean beyond the wall. Just nothingness. For light-years.

Even as he did so, a familiar, female, voice spoke in Maurice's head: Newton, "Marice, I'm hoping you can hear me. Whatever you are doing, stop it now. You need to leave the town right now or you and everyone else in Prefeton is going to die before the day is over. You need to find the route out. It will be somewhere you aren't supposed to go. People will mysteriously appear and disappear there. You need to think fast and act faster as you won't get another shot at this. We'll try to meet you on the other side, but until then this is the last you'll hear from me. Godspeed, Major Tom."