Wow, so sorry I haven't been updating, guys. I mean to and I keep getting eaten by college. And life. Lots and lots of life. Digi's in the same boat. But we're trying, folks, we're trying!
So get ready for a bucket load of updates! Well…sort of…
CHAPTER EIGHT
The alarm rang, smoke poured from shattered air vents, and the whole world seemed to be tilting sideways. For an instant, the lights flickered out, plunging the hallway into darkness and leaving nothing but confused screams and the shrill shriek of twisting metal and the alarms. He felt someone's elbow slam into him as the world spun and then rather suddenly he was alone again, tumbling in the dark.
Finally, after several seconds that seemed like hours, everything went still. The alarms still rang as red emergency lights flickered to life from the panels in the walls. A series of groans and screams could still be heard, and more worryingly, roars.
The ex-agent gave a groan, his voice nearly swallowed in the constant scream of the alarms. His head was throbbing, the pain so great that even the dull flashing of the emergency lights wasn't helping. A brush against his head sent splinters of pain lacing through his skull, a glance at his fingers revealing them to be coated in a black substance.
He would have been confused had it not been for the unmistakable copper smell and the memory of just what blood tended to look like in red lighting.
"Is everyone all right?" He called out. His voice sounded surprisingly clear considering the shakiness of his limbs when he tried to rise. He supposed the unconscious guard that had been his unfortunate pillow could be seen as some sort of blessing, but he wasn't the type to believe in that sort of thing.
A chorus of groans came in response. "Veser, when this is over, I'm going to kill you," Toni hissed as she rose, shaking out her long blue fur. In the strange lighting, her eyes seemed like glittering black orbs.
"As long as you-ow-do it nice and slow." Came the reply as the half-selkie pushed himself upright. His large eyes caught the red light and seemed to reflect them, giving the usual neon-green a silver sheen.
"Is everyone okay? Are you guys all right?" Conrad sounded on the verge of a mental breakdown, his voice tight and crackled with static over the earpiece, "Hey, someone answer me! Toni? Eli? Veser? Hanna? Is anyone there? Guys? Guys!"
The ex-agent grimaced as he reached up to tap his earpiece. "We're fine, Conrad. Everyone's…" He trailed off, eyes widening as they fell upon one of the prone forms on the floor.
Hanna was sprawled on the floor on his side, eyes closed and arms and legs limp around him. The occasional blue spark shot out of his bracers as though they were trying to get the young redhead to wake up. A fresh cut was traced across Hanna's face, a thin trickle of blood running down his cheek, and there was an obvious bruise forming on his forehead.
Mahogony eyes widened and the ex-agent rushed to the redhead's side, breath coming out in a panicked gasp. "Hanna!" He exclaimed as he gave the redhead a light shake. When he received no response he carefully took his partner's pulse, then breathed a sigh of relief. "He's alive, just unconscious."
Toni gave a sigh. "Of course," she muttered. "I can't say this is the first time he's run himself ragged like this."
"He does this all the time," Veser said flatly, running a hand through his hair, "He just never knows when to stop, the moron."
Before anyone else could comment, a voice could be heard speaking over the intercom.
"Attention all personnel! An attack has been made on the Ark! All gates have been released and the animals are loose! All uninjured personnel are to take the service hallways head to the emergency exits immediately! All main doors are in lockdown, the animals will be attended to at a later time! Repeat, all personnel are to…"
"That is not good," The ex-agent muttered, gritting his teeth.
Toni frowned, then shook her head. "No. Actually, this is perfect," she said, a wolfish grin coming to her face. "This means everyone will be in the service hallways and the main area will be empty. The main area's where all the animals are, so..."
"All we need to do is break through and make ourselves a door," Hanna's partner finished for her, nodding as it seemed to click for him.
The werewolf nodded as well, then looked to Veser. "Got anymore of those bombs?"
"Aside from you?" The half-selkie grinned even as he reached into one of his many pockets, "Yeah, I got plenty. Lookin' for anything in particular?" He pulled out a handful of the small red bombs and one the large, neon-blue half spheres, eyes gleaming in the gloom.
The ex-agent shook his head as he picked Hanna up and slung him over his shoulders. "It doesn't matter. Whatever you've got that can punch a hole through a wall, we need it and we need to move now. Before these guys wake up." He nudged one of the groaning guards with his boot to get his point across.
"Guys? Heeelllllooooo! What the hell is going on over there!" Conrad shouted over the communicator, "Hey! The cameras are all out and I can't see what's going on! Hey! HEY! Someone answer me!"
Veser started talking in a mocking tone of voice, high and somewhat girly, "Hey! Hey guys, I just did my nails! Hey, hey, hhheeeeeeyyyy! OMG, my skirt doesn't match my socks! Oh nooooo!"
Conrad let loose a spiel of angry curses and wished Veser a rather painful and slow death.
"Veser, stop being such a jerk. Just because Worth's not here doesn't mean you need to take his place," Toni huffed.
"Sorry about that, Conrad," The ex-agent muttered as he adjusted Hanna's position. "Hanna's unconscious and we've learned that the main parts of the ark have no guards. In order to get the dragon and get out, we need to go through there. Can you see a wall nearby that we can break through on your map? I know the cameras are out, but you can still see my tracking point on the computer, right?"
Conrad grumbled something inaudible and then said, "Yeah, just go straight ahead, then a left, a right, and there's a door you have to go through. No more distractions, okay. Not a single one. Get the stupid flying lizard and get out. You guys have already done enough damage as it is."
"Worth's going to kiiiillll uuuusssss~!" Veser chanted in a sing-song voice, his tone actually louder than the constant alarm.
"No kidding!" Toni laughed as she bounded down the hallway, stomping on unfortunate guards on her way out.
"I just hope nothing else actually kills us," The ex-agent muttered as they went around one corner, then another. A few more steps and they found themselves at the door in question. Hanna's partner reached out and jiggled the handle, then made a face. "Well, they were true to their word. It's locked."
"Step aside, Explosive Expert coming through!" Veser stepped up to the door, slapped on one of his explosive strips, and stepped back. There was a small bang and a crack spread across the door front but it did not budge. Veser frowned and pulled out a neon-blue half sphere instead. He stuck the flat side against the door and skipped backwards. This time, the bang was a lot louder and the door was blown inside, slamming to the floor with a flat clang of metal on metal.
"And that's how you do it." The half-selkie said with a grin.
Toni shook her head as she loped past him, clearly more focused on their exit than exchanging banter. The ex-agent seemed equally determined and followed her through the smoldering hole in the wall, shifting Hanna on his back to keep the redhead from falling.
What awaited them was absolute chaos. They stepped into what appeared to be a large, open atrium. Glowing walkways flickered in and out of existence between the open balconies of the upper floors, their power source temporarily cut. The main floor itself was different from the service hallways, a glittering pattern of faux stone tiles that spread in a number of paths throughout the great room. Dotted throughout the room were a number of imitation trees, plants and even several waterfalls, meant to give the illusion of nature in a space that spoke of the crowning moment of human dominance. Amongst these were what the ex-agent assumed had once been exhibits, but the clear forcefields that held the animals were missing, leaving the habitats empty and torn apart.
And the animals themselves? Running wild throughout the ark, confused and scared. A cacophony of roars, shrieks and howls could be heard ringing through the cavernous room. A flutter of wings up above could be heard as the birds scattered about, a flash of fur and the thunder of hooves to their left leaving them all disoriented. A small lion cub could be seen trapped behind a fallen pillar, mewling in terror. Flames flickered throughout the room, glittering in darkened eyes as smoke squeezed the life from so very many of pairs of lungs.
The ex-agent slowed to a stop as he took in the chaos, swallowing. It was strange, seeing nature taking back a testament to man, and yet as he watched the flames slowly devour imitation fauna, all he could feel was a sense of sadness. Not for the ones responsible for the place, though he wasn't sure if sending all the workers out and valuing human life over these creatures could necessarily be stated as wrong. However, the fact remained that thousands of creatures were being sacrificed for a far smaller number of employees… and when it came down to it, regardless of who suffered in the end, he was well aware it was his fault.
This chaos was their fault. Had this really been when he'd wanted?
He didn't have time to muse on this, however, as Toni was once again calling out orders. "Guys, I think I see the dragon up on the second floor!"
A glance revealed the truth of her statement. Though it was hard to make out, the ex-agent was able to spot the thing. No more than two feet of dark scales, pushpin claws and tiny teeth, it was backed up against a wall. Leathery wings beating weakly, it looked positively terrified.
"I'm going," the werewolf said simply, and her tone left no room for argument. "You two hurry and make an exit. The sooner we blow this damn ship wide open, the sooner they can all get out."
"But some of them are trapped…" The ex-agent winced.
"If we don't hurry, we'll all be trapped," Toni said grimly. "This is the best we can do. Now let's go!" With those words she darted away, a blur of blue that was nearly lost amongst the flames.
Veser watched her go, teeth gritted, "Damn it, I really hate it when she does that." He flashed a brief grin, "But I can't say I hate to watch her go." The smile vanished and he turned to the ex-Ahimsa agent, "Come on, dude, we've got work to do. How's Hanna doing?"
"He's… breathing," the ex-agent muttered as he glanced back at the redhead. He then glanced back out into the gloom. "Let's hurry. I want to get him out of here."
"Right, let's go." Veser glanced around to make sure nothing was going to lunge out of the darkness and tear him to pieces, and then took off towards the nearest wall. They stumbled through the shadows and Veser flattened himself against the wall, another silver sphere in his hand, this one pulsing a green light that matched his eyes. His gaze traveled up to the second floor, searching for Toni amidst the chaos.
The wolf in question could be seen as little more than a blue streak dotting the mangled second floor. Leaping from bit of debris to bit of debris, she could be seen slipping past a column that was shaky at best, flames casting an orange glow across her fur. This was concerning, of course, but not nearly as bad as the moment she vanished all together.
The ex-agent's brow furrowed as he eyed the pile of junk where he'd last seen the werewolf. After a few moments, he swore his heart skipped a beat. He wasn't spotting her, and the idea of losing someone so soon was-
He never got a chance to finish the thought, as Toni emerged from what seemed like a small maze of debris, jaws clamped carefully around a distinctive, tiny scaly body.
"She's fine," Hanna's partner murmured, his voice sounding almost too clearly relieved as he touched the half-selkie's shoulder. "Go."
Veser spun around and pressed the sphere against the wall, "Might wanna back off, guys! This might be kinda big!"
"Wait, what're you doing!" Conrad cried, "Are you blowing up the wall! Don't! You idiot!"
But it was too late, the bomb was already counting down in flashes and inaudible beeps. Veser grabbed the ex-agent's sleeve and dragged him back, keeping an eye out for anything that might want to leap out of the dark and eat them.
Then came the explosion. A burst of bright flame that lit up the dim area, the force of it all enough to blow back the ex-agent's coat and make his teeth rattle. He stood fast, however, holding onto Hanna and shielding his eyes from the blast. When it all cleared he allowed his arm to drop, blinking through the spots in his eyes and coughing in the smoke from the explosion.
"Move!"
Toni's voice rang through the air, and the ex-agent acted on reflex. He leaped back, narrowly avoiding the first of the animals as they sped past him.
For indeed, the floodgates were open, and the creatures would not be deterred. There was a variety of hoots and howls as paws thumped across the remounts of the zoo. There was a blur of orange and black as tigers streaked past, eagles rushing by in a flurry of feathered wings. The small vampire could be seen darting out and hissing as it stuck to the shadows of the Ark, most likely trying to find a dark spot to hide until nightfall.
"Veser!" The ex-agent cried out over the chaos, straining to see through the blur of fur and scales. In the mess of it all, he'd lost him. "Toni!"
He couldn't see either of them. The animals were emptying out, the room collapsing and burning around him and his charge, and the other resistance members were missing. What was he supposed to do? He couldn't leave them behind!
"Eli!" Came a shout and suddenly Veser was flashing those dangerous teeth in his direction, "Come on, what're you standing around for! Hurry up and move or you'll get trampled!"
He blinked in surprise, then the ex-agent nodded. Right. Veser was fine, he swore he saw a streak of blue somewhere in the chaos, and he needed to get going. Adjusting Hanna's position on his back, the dark-haired man ran for the opening, dodging past thundering hooves and paws. Something large and furry jostled the two of them, but he ignored it, eyes focused on the messy circle of sunlight that represented their exit.
And then quite suddenly he was out, blinking in the harsh sunlight and ducking to the side to avoid a speeding ostrich. The force of this movement sent the ex-agent tumbling to the ground, the dark-haired man connecting heavily with the concrete as he tried to cushion Hanna's fall as well. He lay there for a moment, then struggled to his feet, wincing as he noticed a multitude of scrapes and bruises for the first time. He had never gotten this injured on a regular job before, this was certain.
Mahogony eyes were wide as he took in the sight of the formerly calm loading area. Crates were scattered everywhere, some smashed open, their packing peanut guts spilled out across the concrete. He could hear sirens in the distance, mixing with the sound of the alarms that still echoed from the Ark. Animals rushed this way and that, though he absently noted those he recognized as Undesirables were making a beeline for dark alleyways. He swore he even saw a young woman who'd possessed a fish tail mere minutes ago jogging barefoot across the ground, but he supposed he could have been imagining things.
"Ugh," Toni's voice was the first thing he heard. The ex-agent swore his heart skipped a beat as he turned to see her human again and holding a small, thrashing bundle of scales, claws and wings. "This thing really is a little monster. I don't' see why we weren't given a carrier for the little bugger," she muttered as she held the thing at arm's length, trying to avoid thrashing claws.
"Were you given any sedative?" The ex-agent asked as they jogged toward a grouping of crates.
The werewolf nodded even as she grit her teeth in pain. "Sure, but the little bastard's too busy thrashing around for me to get at it."
"Hahahahaha! Oh my gosh, that was the best trip to the zoo ever!" Veser shouted, trotting towards them with a wild grin on his face, "We should do this again sometime!" His large eyes found the thrashing form of the dragon, "Wow, Toni, wish you'd hold onto me like that."
"Shut up with the rude comments!" Conrad snapped, again so loud they could all hear him from the ex-agent's earpiece. "Someone knock that thing out before it gets away!"
"Toni's got the sedative." Veser pointed out and then a mischievous smile spread across his features, "I'll get it from you, babe." And he reached out towards Toni's skirts.
Toni immediately dodged away, scowling. "Hell no. You take the damn thing and I'll get it," she snapped, shoving the squirming creature Veser's way.
"Ow! Oh God, this thing's moving around more than Hanna! Ow!" He winced as tiny claws raked his cheek, "Hurry up, Toni!"
The werewolf rolled her eyes as a hand reached into her mayer layers of skirt. The ex-agent had to absently wonder where she kept everything as he saw her remove a syringe. One quick movement later and the dragon's eyes were fluttering shut, it's claws and thumping tail going still as it slumped in Veser's arms.
"There," Toni sighed as she set the syringe aside. "It's done," she murmured, swaying on her feet.
A gloved hand immediately shot out to catch her, the ex-agent's brow furrowed in worry. "Toni? Are you okay?"
The werewolf gave a pained nod and a weak smile. "Y-yeah, I'm fine. I just… twisted my ankle and I'm a little tired, that's all."
"Damn it," Veser growled, "Figures this would happen. Way to fuck everything up, Hanna."
"You guys should get back here ASAP." Conrad said, "You sounds like you're in pretty bad shape."
The ex-agent shook his head. "There's no way we're in any condition to walk back yet. Besides… considering what just happened, security's probably going to be tighter around the city, even in the slums. The last thing we want to do is run into more Ahimsa right now."
Toni nodded in agreement as she tried to force herself to stand. "That's true. We need to get out of this area though. Those sirens- oof!" She grunted as her leg gave out again and she collapsed against Veser this time. "Ugh, sorry."
"You're fine, honey. This is where you belong, right at my side." The half-selkie smiled, holding the dragon under one arm as he wrapped his free arm around the werewolf's shoulders.
Toni made a face, but didn't fight Veser off. She wasn't exactly in any position to.
Veser looked up at the former agent, "You're right, though, man. There's no way we could even take on a freaking guard this way. Hmmm," He thought for a second and then said, "Well, I think there's only one thing to do!"
"And that would be...?" The ex-agent trailed off, brow furrowing.
The grin he received in response was mildly terrifying.
"Time to go see the old man!"
The trip to their mysterious safe house was as much of an adventure as the trip there had been. Hanna was unconscious, meaning his bracers had dimmed. Thus, Veser was stuck trying to support both Toni and a baby dragon in the relative darkness of the tunnels. This resulted in the occasional curse and grunt, followed by a flurry of suspiciously-overconfident babbling when Toni suggested she either take the dragon or try to walk on her own. Then there were the curses and yells from Conrad over the ex-agent's headset, which were tame in comparison to Worth when he finally decided to take over the microphone. His unfortunate victim finally opted for turning the thing off, as the last thing he wanted to deal with was another headache for the moment.
The ex-agent kept silent as he made his way through the tunnels, finding his load strangely light. Hanna weighed next to nothing, which was concerning in itself, but he was doing his best to not think about it. Of course, aside from the occasional direction from Veser, he didn't have much else think about, and as he walked, his thoughts only grew more troubled. Between Hanna's lack of weight, the flickering of his bracers and the constant memories of their recent mission, he had more than enough to be concerned about.
He found himself feeling grateful as they finally arrived at what was apparently the appropriate ladder. After adjusting his charge once again, the ex-agent found himself making his way up the ladder, feeling the bite of frigid metal even through his gloves. He slide aside the heavy covering of the entryway, then poked his head up. All he could see was darkness, though his nose wrinkling at a strange smell he couldn't quite place.
"Where are we?" He muttered as he pulled himself fully out of the trap door… only to run into a face full of fabric. White, stiff and smelling faintly of a mixture of oil and alcohol, only one word came to mind in response.
"What."
"That old man seriously needs to get a light in here...!" Veser's voice grumbled and then there was a thud, "Ow! Fuck! Who the hell decided to put the tunnel exit in the closet, anyway? Where's the door...?" There was a click and then a hissing sound and light flooded into the tiny space, revealing several racks of clean pressed clothes hanging above the trapdoor they'd just climbed through.
"Right," Toni said slowly from below them. "I'll just stay down here for now, it sounds like there's no room."
"You'd be right," The ex-agent muttered as he glanced around the closet. His eyes finally fell on the door handle, and his brow furrowed. The sight of the metal structure when he was so used to things like thumb pads and scan panels was a bit off-putting. "Should we… ah… knock first?" He wondered aloud, uncertain in regards to the etiquette of climbing through a trap door in someone's closet.
"Naaahh," Veser said, eyes glowing a little in the light from the glowstick in his hand, "Just bust in there, no one'll care."
"All right then," Hanna's partner still sounded unsure, but with a shrug he grasped the door handle, then pushed.
Warm, yellow light spilled into the closet, a sharp contrast to Veser's neon green glowstick and the faded gleam of Hanna's bracers. The room beyond the closet was a rather decent size, with thin, cream colored carpet, dark brown walls, and several, rather stiff looking couches and chairs scattered around it. A miniature chandelier hung from the ceiling, casting light from the bulbs in its twisting arms, a bookshelf of black painted wood was against one wall and several paintings hang in intricate frames were dotted tastefully around the room.
A white vase painted with swirling blue patterns was sitting on a dark wood stand in a corner, a low table of ancient mahogany with a polished glass top was placed in front of the chairs, an empty fire place of weathered stone and dark grout was facing the entire room, and a single door with a shiny gold handle was opposite the book case.
But the most astonishing part was the sheer amount of clocks. They were on every single wall and tucked into ever corner. A towering grandfather clock was in the corner nearest them, its pendulum swinging back and forth in perfect time, three different wall clocks hung to their left, a steeple clock sat atop the book shelf, a camelback clock was perched atop the fireplace, and there was even a couple of lyre clocks sitting on the low table.
They were all well polished and cared for, the faces gleaming in the light, their hands swinging in smooth rhythm, not a single trace of old age upon them. And they were all ticking in perfect harmony with one another.
The ex-agent stood in the closet doorway, unsure of how to handle the rush of emotion as he took in the sights. The room was like nothing he'd ever seen. The furniture was all beautiful, but the ornate decorations carved in the wood were a far cry from the perfect, crisp angles he was used to. The fireplace was an anomaly
all its own, something he'd only seen in history books, and the paintings something he'd only seen in projections in museums. Even the lighting was strange, a soft, warming yellow glow as opposed to the fluorescent glow he was used to.
It was beautiful, yes, and at the same time something felt off. It was probably the agent slowly dying inside him, screaming that this was all highly illegal. Or maybe it was the clocks, which were admittedly somewhat off-putting, especially if one was used to digital ones.
"Impressive, isn't it? I think Ples' collection is one of the most impressive one's in the city," Toni commented as she pulled herself up the ladder, her voice only slightly pained.
"So I see," The ex-agent murmured.
"Pllleeeeeessss!" Veser shouted as he shouldered his way past the ex-agent and stomped into the room, tracking mud and dirt and who knew what else onto the spotless carpet. The unconscious dragon swung this way and that in his arms, thankfully too out of it to notice this mistreatment. "Ples! Hey old man, you home?"
There was the sound of footsteps and then the other door in the room was thrown open, "Veser, you should know better than to shout! And the carpet! What did I tell you about the carpet!" A man stood in the doorway, looking horrified at the amount of filth one teenager had managed to drag in with him. His hair was black and swiped with bits gray-white, his eyes dark behind thin, half circle glasses, and he was quite tall, almost as tall as the ex-agent.
He strode into the room, closing the door behind him, "Control yourself, Veser! To go around shouting is not the best way to keep yourself from getting arrested again. And I really can't keeping paying off-." He suddenly pulled up short, the golden chain dangling his vest pocket glittering in the warm light, and stared at the dragon. "A dragon. Why is there a dragon? What's going on here?" His eyes were wide now as they fell upon the ex-Ahimsa agent. "Who is this? Why is Hanna unconscious… again? What happened?"
"It's a long story, Ples," Toni sighed as she finally limped into the room. Upon catching the ex-agent's concerned glance, she gave a small laugh and waved him off. "I'm fine Eli, I can manage a ladder and limping to a chair, thanks," She said as she did just that, giving a soft sigh as she finally rested. After a moment she looked to Ples and smiled. "Don't worry, Eli's just the new guy. Nothing to worry about, he's been looking after Hanna."
The ex-agent felt something twist within him as he laid the unconscious Hanna out on the couch. Hearing it put like that in conduction with seeing the redhead now, he really felt that he wasn't doing the best job.
Ples sighed and massaged his forehead with two fingers, "Anything that left Hanna unconscious must be quite a tale...though it isn't really anything new." He glanced around at the entire group, "I'll get medical supplies, just stay in here for the moment. Ah, and please make sure that dragon stays asleep."
"All right already." Veser grumbled, flopping into a nearby chair, "Just get us something to eat." Ples scowled at the half-selkie and then turned and left the room, closing the door firmly behind him. Veser switched his attention to the former agent, "Hey, is Hanna still doing okay? I mean, he got pretty banged up and everything and he usually does this sort of thing all the time but..." He left the sentence hanging, almost admitting the worry that was showing in his eyes.
The ex-agent nodded. "He's fine… not terribly responsive, though," he murmured as he stepped away from Hanna, leaning against the arm of the couch. He felt awkward in this room, as if he didn't belong with his trenchcoat and technology. A seat would have only made him feel worse about the whole thing. "Is this really so normal?" He asked, brow furrowing.
Toni gave a nod and a sigh. "Yeah. If he's not getting himself injured in some ridiculous accident or just by playing hero, then he's overdoing things. He only has so much energy to power the bracers and if he uses too much he'll collapse. Worth just decided to make a point of keeping a first aid kit here at Ples' after the third time, but he's still going to be pissed that we weren't able to somehow magically teleport back home after all this."
She received a raised brow at this. "Because he wants to patch up Hanna or because he's angry about the mission?"
"Probably both," The werewolf laughed.
Veser leaned over the arm of the couch and peered at Toni, "Are yyyooouuu okay?"
He received an eyeroll in response. "I've been through worse, you know that. I'm more worried about the dragon, I'm amazed we got it out. It's not hurt or anything, is it?"
"That little thing?" The half-selkie hefted it off the floor, "It's still out cold. Man, that sedative Worth gave us is freakin' strong! What's it for, a horse? I bet this thing wouldn't wake up if you dropped it off a roof!" And he proceeded to shake it up and down, grinning like he'd found the most entertaining thing in the world.
At that particular moment, Ples happened to open the door and see the whole spectacle. His eyes widened and and he nearly ran across the room, almost dropping the silver box he was carrying, "Veser! Stop that! What do you think you're doing!"
"What?" The half-selkie snorted, still shaking the dragon, "It's not gonna wake up."
"Put it down." Ples said with a sharp frown and when Veser scowled at him, "What did I tell you?" Veser grumbled something under his breath, "What. Did. I. Tell. You?"
"Look, don't touch." Veser spat but he dropped the dragon to the floor, "Sheesh, old man, you treat me like I'm five. I'm nineteen, okay! I can take care of myself! Now where's the food?"
"You can clean yourselves up, first," Ples answered, setting the box down on the low table between the armchair where Toni was sitting and the couch. "The food is cooking and I'll make up some rooms for you. Just no rough housing, please." He smiled a little at Toni and the agent and then turned and left the room.
Toni let out a groan and smacked a hand over her face. "Veser… we're someone's guest. Would it kill you to be some semblance of polite for a few hours?"
"Psh, what're you talking about? That was polite." Veser sniggered, draping himself over the arm rest, "Hey baby, you gonna fix up my injuries? I got one on my lip that needs a tender kiss..."
"…You are so lucky I can't really stomp over there and clock you right now," The werewolf grumbled as she reached over and opened the first aid kid, then began rummaging around in it.
"Do you need any help?" The ex-agent inquired.
"Nope." The word was followed by a roll of bandages striking the man in the face. "You just focus on getting Hanna patched up, okay? If something gets infected, Worth is going to have our heads on a platter."
Hanna's partner had to agree with that sentiment. He'd seen enough of Worth's wrath to know to avoid it when possible. "We have more sedative for the dragon, right? I'd hate for it to wake up anytime soon," He said as he gently scrubbed at the cut on the redhead's face.
Toni nodded. "Worth gave me plenty so it'll be fine. If we need anything else we can contact the network and we should have whatever we need in a few hours."
"So is… Ples a part of this network, then?" The ex-agent asked, brow furrowing as he glanced around the room. "He seems… well off…" He trailed off, his unspoken remark hanging in the air.
Undesirables didn't have this kind of money.
"He's just an old weirdo who ticks a lot." Veser muttered, putting his chin in his hand and propping his elbow on the arm of the couch, "And he really hates the Ahimsa." he flicked his gaze towards the former agent, "No offense, dude."
"He's actually one of our undercover agents, we got very lucky with him," Toni stated as she set to wrapping up her ankle. "He's never been very open about just what triggered the whole resistance thing, but I know his day job is as an accountant in the inner circle. He has a thing for Victorian era stuff, as you can see. The whole 'secret room in his house' thing makes for a convenient hide out, and he's good for getting information we'd otherwise have trouble accessing."
The ex-agent nodded as he placed a band-aid on one of Hanna's wounds. "That would make sense… though admittedly I find myself pondering over the logistics of hiding a whole room like this."
Toni had to smirk at this. "Like I said before, you'd be surprised what we're capable of. It's mostly all undercover and not a lot of people are willing to fight, but we know how to keep secrets."
It was then that the door opened once more and Ples shouldered his way in carrying a tray loaded with steaming bowls. He carefully shut the door behind him again and set the tray on the table.
Veser leaned forward and scoffed at the food, "Dude, seriously? Soup? Where the hell's the gourmet steak and potatoes?"
Ples scowled at the half-selkie, "Go ahead and turn your nose up at it if you want but I'm not making anything else. I can't exactly pull a meal from my rationed supplies. This is from the supplies the resistance gives me so when when you show up I can feed you." The man smiled in a mocking sort of way, "Or does Lord Veser want his tuna fish?"
"Do you have tuna fish?" Veser looked up expectantly and Ples rolled his eyes.
"Later, Veser." The said, leaning down to pick up a bowl and hand it to Toni, "Let me help here first. Are you all right there, Toni?"
Toni flashed a smile. "I'm fine, Ples, thank you. I'm just happy to have a good meal and possibly actual bed for a bit."
"That's good." Ples smiled and then looked around at the Ahimsa agent, "You should probably wake Hanna up if you can. I'm pretty sure some food would help him get his energy back."
The ex-agent nodded as he took his bowl and set it aside, then turned to Hanna and gave him a light shake. "Hanna?" He whispered, trying to get the redhead's attention.
Hanna muttered something softly under his breath and his eyelids fluttered but he didn't quite wake up.
"Slap him across the face." Veser said past a mouthful of soup, "That's what Worth does and it always wakes him up."
The half-selkie didn't see the eyeroll he received in response. Hanna's partner wasn't sure he'd ever get used to hearing about the violence that made up most of the redhead's life. "Hanna? Can hear me? There's food," he said, relief obvious in his voice. For everyone's insistences that the redhead was all right, the ex-agent had to admit he'd been worried. Not being sure whether Hanna was unconscious or just asleep would do that.
These worries were somewhat washed away when Hanna's eyes half opened and he muttered, "Food?" A little smile traced his face, "Hey Lasatalon...you okay?"
The redhead received a small smile in response. "Shouldn't we be asking you that?" His partner asked as he held out the bowl. "Can you sit up and eat this?"
"Yeah, I think so..." Hanna propped himself up on his elbows, winced, and then sat up straight, "There we go. See. Just fine." He smiled his usual brilliant smile, "See everything went just fine, just like I said it would!"
"No dude. It did not." Veser sneered, "You messed up big time but it's okay," The half-selkie puffed out his chest, grinning, "Because I saved the day."
"I didn't mess up that badly." Hanna muttered, scowling a little.
The ex-agent quirked a brow as he glanced over at the half-selkie."You saved the day, hm?" He murmured as he handed the soup bowl to Hanna.
"I don't know if I'd go that far, mister 'I-think-blowing-the-ship-up-is-a-great-idea'." Toni said with a smirk.
"Wha-hey!" Veser shouted indignantly, "I got us out alive, didn't I? That counts as saving the day!"
Hanna laughed a little, "Hahaha! I knew it! I knew we'd have to blow it up! Oh, awesome! Did all the animals get out okay?" His blue eyes flashed to the bandage on Toni's ankle and his smile dropped, "Are you okay, Toni? What happened?" He managed to say all of this between shoveling spoonfuls of soup into his mouth.
The werewolf's expression softened as she looked to Hanna, shifting slightly so as to hide her ankle from view. "It's nothing, Hanna. Don't worry about it. The animals all got out safely and the dragon's fine. Mission accomplished, whether Worth agrees or not."
Hanna blinked at her for a second and then his usual smile came back, "Well all right then! Mission Rescue Baby Dragon complete!" He ate several more mouthfuls of soup and then turned to the Ahimsa agent, "And you did an awesome job, Vastitas. Those were some of the most kick-ass moves I've ever seen!"
He received a blink of confusion in response. "Me? I… didn't really do anything. It was you three who really did everything," the ex-agent replied.
Toni rolled her eyes. "Oh, stop being modest. I saw those Matrix moves. We're lucky most Ahimsa aren't that good, we'd have been screwed over a long time ago."
"I…" Hanna's partner trailed off, then shook his head. "Thank you. But really, you three did very well. Things were less… structured than I'm used to but this whole thing worked rather well. I'm the one who should be impressed."
"Ha! You bet" Veser scoffed and his ego swelling was an almost a tangible thing, "We're friggen' awesome!"
"Yeah..." Hanna murmured and then yawned, "We're the bestest..." The rest of his sentence trailed off into gibberish as his eyes closed and he slid sideways on the couch, draped over the cushions, the empty soup bowl still clutched in his hands.
The ex-agent's brow furrowed in concern and he reached for the redhead's shoulder, only to see Toni shake her head.
"He's still worn out, don't worry. He just needs rest," the werewolf stated as she set her own soup bowl aside. "The fact that he woke up is good, it means we can probably get going tomorrow. Before that though, I think I feel like following his example." She glanced from Veser to the ex-agent, then gave a sigh. "I suppose I'm going to have to ask one of you to escort me to my room, aren't I?"
"I'll do it! I'll be the gentleman!" Veser proclaimed, leaping to his feet, "Don't you worry about a thing, Toni. I'll have you in that bed faster then you can say "yes"." And he grinned at her, showing all of his sharp teeth in a flirtatious way.
Toni made a face, then looked to the ex-agent. "I guess I can't be choosy when it comes to my knight in shining armor." With those words she carefully pushed herself to her feet, grabbing onto the half-selkie's shoulder and using him as support. "You guys will be okay, right? Ples only has one spare room."
The ex-agent nodded. "We'll be fine. Sleep well."
"She'll be sleepin' juuuusssttt fine," Veser was still grinning even as he looped an arm around Toni's waist, "Especially after spending a night with me."
The werewolf gave a groan as shoved Veser as far away as she could get away with. "Good night, boys," She said, rolling her eyes as the two of them vanished.
Shortly after this, Ples arrived to help get things situated. The apologies had come in regards to the fact that "as always", he only had blankets and pillows. Really, these things were already far beyond the ragged sheet the ex-agent had seen Hanna sleep with, so he just found himself feeling extremely grateful. Of course, Veser had complained when he'd found his usual battle with Hanna in regards to the couch would have to be forgotten in lieu of the circumstances. This seemed more like cursory grumbling than anything, and soon enough the half-selkie was curled up in a ball in one of the armchairs as if he were home.
The ex-agent had considered following the teen's example. Certainly, the plump pillow and folded blanket that had been placed on a chair near the couch seemed inviting, and his own exhausted muscles were screaming for him to rest. For awhile he had laid down, but something about the whole thing just seemed off. The overstuffed blanket and chair seemed downright alien, nothing like the adjustable, plain mattress he'd been used to back at his apartment or even the springs that dug into his back at the factory. The blanket seemed too soft, the chair smelled like an odd mixture between oil, alcohol and wood varnish. The formally comforting beat of the clocks now seemed overwhelmingly noisy, a cacophony of gears for the unwary to drown in. Quite suddenly he was aware of everything in the room and anything, from Veser's breathing to Hanna's occasional shifts and whines.
And it all made it far too easy to think.
Rather suddenly, things that had been pushed away by the present came rushing back. With no injured Hanna to deal with, the images now came, and he was helpless against them. It came in a wave, rolling over him like the heat from the explosion, memories of a suddenly burning world and shrieking animals, flashes of bright blue eyes and a horribly calm smile, views of something he'd only been dimly aware of before now shoved in front of him.
He couldn't make sense of it. And so finally, after several hours of trying to sleep, he turned to what had been a common solution from a time that felt entirely separate from him now. He rose, flicked on a light, and began to glance across the many titles that made up Ples' library.
This proved to be a far more interesting venture than he'd bargained for. The ex-agent had always enjoyed literature, indeed he'd very nearly devoured every library he'd come across in Varuna. Of course, the selection there had always been rather small. Most books from the old days had been outlawed and burned, and he had to admit he'd been feeling a growing dissatisfaction with the usual set little fantasies of how the Council and the Ahimsa saved the day yet again. To him, Ples' shelves were like a feast to a man who had been surviving on rainwater.
The Great Gatsby. 1984. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Moby Dick. An actual bible. So many titles he'd only heard in whispers, so many words and not nearly enough time to devour them.
And so, hours into the night, the ex-agent could be found curled up on his chair, mahogany eyes darting back and forth as he plowed through page after page.
It was almost midnight when Hanna started shouting in his sleep. Not just talking, shouting. His words were strung together in an unintelligible mess punctured by cries of terror as he thrashed underneath the blanket, his bracers shooting sparks into the gloom, his face screwed up into an expression of undiluted fear, eyes squeezed shut, still in the grips of sleep.
The ex-agent had been at Hanna's side in a flash. A part of him had to ponder if waking the redhead when he was like this was really the safest idea, and the sparking bracers seemed to speak well for leaving things alone. But he couldn't ignore the screams, and so he gave Hanna a shake. "Hanna? Hanna, wake up," He called out, trying to keep his voice soothing and absently hoping the walls were thick enough to muffle the screams.
"No!" Hanna shouted and his arm flashed out and smacked the unfortunate man in the side of the face. He continued twisting around underneath the former agent's grip, "No! No! No! No! Please! Please! Let go! Let go of me!" And he arched his back as though trying to throw the ex-agent off of him.
His partner winced as he struggled to keep the redhead still. "Hanna, calm down, it's just a nightmare! You're not- ugh!" He grunted as pale fingers grasped at his face, surprisingly strong. "Hanna, wake up!"
Brilliant blue eyes flashed open, the same neon color as the bracers, staring into nothing. Hanna's hand slid away and clenched at empty space, opening and closing almost mechanically. When he spoke again, his voice was a gasp, shaking, his entire frame quivering,
"There's more of them out there."
He received a furrowed brow in response, the ex-agent's grip weakening on the redhead's shoulders. "…More of them? Hanna, what are you talking about?"
Hanna did not look at him, didn't even blink. He just kept staring off into nothing, eyes wide, his breathing shallow as though it was hard for him to get a breath. He kept muttering under his breath, quick words that still shook with fear over something the former Ahimsa didn't understand. And he was so quiet, a complete opposite of the Hanna that the ex-agent had come to know,
"...they're out there...I know they are...they think I don't know but I do...and it's not fair...not fair that they did it...not fair...not fair..."
The redhead continued to clench at the empty air, fingers grasping at nothing, his body shaking, his face pale. In the dim glow of his bracers, he looked like a ghostly figure, lost in the material world.
"Hanna!" The ex-agent gave the redhead another shake, eyes narrowing. "What are you talking about? Who is 'they'? Hanna!"
This time, Hanna did turn to look at him. And there was nothing in his eyes; no feeling, no light, they were simply empty discs of blue staring hauntingly at the ex-agent. They almost seemed to be staring through him. And then, abruptly, Hanna's eyelids drooped and he slumped forward, chin touching his chest, his rigid, quivering frame going limp in the former agent's grip.
Strong hands kept the redhead steady as the ex-agent stood there, simply staring at Hanna. He wasn't quite sure what to do. What had that been about? Was something wrong with Hanna? Should he risk the screaming and call Worth? What was going on!
"Wha' the hell are you guys doin' over there...?" Veser's sleepy mutter came from the nearby chair.
"I…" The former agent felt the words catch in his throat, unsure of how to describe the incident. "Hanna had… a nightmare," he said slowly as he gently laid the redhead back down, noting Hanna's calmed breathing.
Veser stared at him blearily for a moment or two and then snorted, "He does that all the time. Nothin' to worry 'bout." And he rolled over and pulled the blanket over his head. In seconds, he was sound asleep once again.
Hanna's partner sighed at this. The nonchalance with which they all seemed to treat Hanna's 'oddities' was starting to frustrate him. He supposed if this was a common occurrence, it made sense to let it go, but that fact didn't make the whole thing any less painful. Mahogony eyes gazed down at the now silent redhead before the ex-agent sat down again. Would he be like that, soon? Taking Hanna's every cry as nothing, ignoring each sight from this new war as if it were another day in the park?
He hoped not.
"Exiel...?" Hanna's voice murmured sleepily, "Whatcha' doin'...? Are you having trouble sleeping...?"
The ex-agent blinked in confusion. He was surprised Hanna was even awake. "Er… yes, I am," he muttered, seeming unsure of how to even reply.
The redhead smiled warmly, "I used to have trouble sleeping too when I first met Worth and Lamont. I was scared of the dark-only don't tell Veser that, he'd never live it down." Hanna laughed a little, "What'd you do to get sleep at your old home?"
His partner couldn't help but smile as well, though it was small. "Ah… I used to read a lot. Ples has quite the collection," he said as he gestured to the pile of books on the side table.
Hanna stared at the pile of books and then looked back at the former agent, "Whoa. Did you read all of those tonight?"
He received a chuckle in response. "Not quite. I may ask if I can borrow them, everything's so interesting. I didn't even know half of these books existed, it's fascinating."
"I've got comic books," Hanna pointed out sleepily. "You should read them. Hey, you could totally be Batman…"
The ex-agent shook his head, his smile widening. "Perhaps I'll try that," He said. There was a beat of silence as he studied the redhead for a moment, taking in the set of tired blue eyes and sleepy smile. Hanna seemed, for all intents and purposes, like he'd just woken up normally, as if the nightmare had never happened. He wasn't sure what to make of it.
"Er… Hanna? Do you remember what woke you up?"
"Hm?" Hanna rubbed a hand through his hair, making it stand on end. "Oh...no, not really. I probably just woke up." He shrugged, "It's not important, it happens all the time."
Mahogany eyes narrowed slightly as the former agent stared at his charge. Then he sighed and reached up to pinch the bridge of his nose. "If you say so."
Hanna started to roll over and paused, frowning a little as he looked at his friend, "You okay, Radeus?"
The ex-agent gave a nod. After a moment, however, he sighed. "There's just… a lot to consider, that's all," he murmured, threading his fingers together as he glanced down to them. "…Is this really wise, what we're doing?"
Hanna propped himself up against the arm of the couch, looking a little hurt, "Well, I...you know, if you don't want to stay here that's okay. You can leave anytime you want to."
He received a wide eyed stare in response. "I… what? No, of course not."
The redhead appeared not to have heard him because he just kept talking in a low, hurt tone of voice, "If you wanna go back to...to your old life, we're not going to stop you. If you really want to, that's fine. You're probably sick of living this way anyway." Hanna started tapping his fingertips together in a nervous sort of way, looking anywhere but at the ex-agent. "You can go back to place where you don't have to shoot your friends or worry about if you're going to wake up the next morning or sleep in a crappy, rundown factory. It's all right, I don't mind. We'll just go back home and Worth'll probably be pissed and kick me and stuff but that's okay because I know it's how he shows he loves me. And we'll have to figure out what to do with that empty room and it'll be pretty lonely for a while. But if you want to go back home, it's okay, I think I understand."
The ex-agent sat there for a moment, jaw dropping. He moved his mouth a few times, seemingly unsure of what to say. "Are you… guilt-tripping me?" He finally sputtered out.
"What?" Hanna looked up at his friend with an innocent expression, "No! Why would you think that?" He was quiet for a second and then, "You're not...really going to leave, are you Somnion?"
"No, I'm not." The former agent couldn't help but feel taken aback. "Hanna, I shot one of my former coworkers today. If that didn't make it clear I'm going to stay by your side, I'm not sure what would."
The redhead stared up, wide-eyed at the ex-agent, and then he grinned, his eyes sparkling in glow from his bracers. He reached out a hand, fingers curled into a fist, and said,
"Bros for life, right Gaudion?"
He received a chuckle in response. His partner then reached out and gently bumped knuckles with him. "Of course," The ex-agent said before his brow furrowed again. "I just.." he trailed off as his eyes went to the patched up wound on Hanna's head.
"I just… don't understand how you can all treat this as if it's nothing, I guess."
"Huh? What're you talkin' about?" Hanna cocked his head to the side, rubbing sleep from one eye.
The ex-agent shook his head. "You got hurt. You all got hurt, really… and for what? I… I do understand that what was going on in The Ark was wrong. I understand that. And yes, I know the dragon needed to be freed. But did we really need to do what we did? Did we really need to hurt so many people? When we let out all those animals… some of them were paranormal, yes, but some were just regular creatures bred in captivity. We may have just caused more problems by letting them free."
Here he paused and let out a sigh, reaching up and running a hand through short hair. "I don't want to make it sound like I don't understand the cause, because I do. The life you all live, it's… very freeing, and I'm grateful for it. I know what the Council does is very wrong. But we did so much damage… not just to them, but to you. I know fighting is important, when I think logically I know the cause is right. But… I guess I don't understand why we had to cause so much trouble and hurt so many people to do it."
Hanna stared at him for a long moment, sleep making his usually brilliant eyes somewhat dull. His brow was furrowed as he thought hard about what the ex-agent had said. After a moment, he spoke slowly, as though choosing his words carefully,
"Yyyeeaaahhhh, you're right, I guess. I know we went a little overboard but that happens sometimes. I know I screwed up big time and we blew up the Ark and people got hurt and a bunch of dangerous animals got loose. But..." The redhead trailed off there, pulling his knees up to chest, "But I know that in the long run, it's not the worst thing that's happened to this city...or its people."
He received a frown in response. "I suppose that's true. Logically, I understand. It's just…" He trailed off, then shook his head. "It's only you. It's only you, Toni and Veser. I know Worth helps, I know Lamont gets you things, I understand that there's a network… but you're the only ones actually fighting. You're the ones getting hurt. I know it's ridiculous, but I see this and I see what happened today… and I just can't make sense of it. I understand the city has had worse, I understand that freedom is valuable… but I can't stop wondering why."
"Why..." Hanna mused and yawned a little, "Why? That's a good question, Karyl." The redhead put his chin on his knees, wrapping his arms around his ankles, "I guess I never really thought about it before. But it seemed like the right thing to do at the time. You were in the Ahimsa," Hanna's voice took on an uncharacteristically dark edge, "You know first hand what it's like in there..."
"Mm," The former agent nodded, his gaze going to the table. "I suppose that's true. That's the reason why I'm here. And when I think about it, yes, it's right to go against them, but…" He trailed off for a moment, then sighed. "I'm sorry. This probably isn't making any sense."
The redhead looked up at his friend and smiled sleepily, "Nah, I think I get it..." He slumped down so his head was lying back on the pillow, "It's just..." He yawned and his eyes closed slowly, "You know..."
There was a moment of silence before the ex-agent frowned. "I know what?" He asked, looking back to Hanna again. After seeing the redhead's chest rise and fall methodically a few times, he let out a sigh. "Never mind," he murmured as he fell back in the armchair.
He sat in silence for a bit eyes going to the dark ceiling as he mulled over the information he'd received. There was far too much to think about, really. He'd already felt a tad confused, and while Hanna's words had assuaged his concerns somewhat, the strange twisting sensation he felt in his stomach refused to go away.
And then there was the new image of Hanna struggling in his arms, his blue eyes wide and unseeing as he screamed at something that wasn't there...
The ex-agent shook his head as he reached for his book. There was really no point in worrying about it right now. He was exhausted, he really just needed to try to unwind and let it all go for now. Still, his eyes wandered over to Hanna one last time, watching the redhead's deceptively peaceful face.
"…I understand why we're fighting," he murmured. "I just don't understand why it has to be you."
His only response came in the form of quiet breathing.