Something was bound to go right (Ch. 2: Day 13) [Epilogue]

NPC · Posted: Sun Mar 20, 2011 4:04 pm

Some hours later, the sun boiled away the clouds, and the moist, green earth shined. The water had all receded, the storms were gone, and even though the places townspeople called home all around were reduced to flooded-out shells or flattened lots, there was a certain mirthfulness of just being alive among them and in the air.

A radio crackled out a fuzzy report from a damp picnic table in a nearby playground, surrounded by strangers all eating lunch from the back of a military truck.

"... and we all know about the astronomical damage to Grand Metropolis—some tens, maybe hundreds of billions of dollars, right—and even all the outlying metropolitan areas, too, but the real shocker—the big thing everybody's wondering about, is the alleged zero casualties reported so far."

"And we don't have an explanation for that, but we're incredibly thankful for it—"

"Is it true, though? Everyone saw the size of that wave. Buildings were out and out crushed, most of the city was flooded for at least an hour, some parts longer. Is someone trying to hide something, or—"

"Absolutely not. No. Why would we? How would we? If there were people hurt or missing, how could the entire country stay quiet about it? Why would we? You- you can believe it, or you can't. It doesn't matter. It's a miracle."

"A miracle?"

"Can you think of anything else to call it?"

"I don't know, but I'm sure we all hope it stays this way, whatever the cause. Thanks for speaking with us ..."

There had been a lot going on, and chatter like that on every station all morning. Whatever the case, the fighting was truly over.

searchindextag
chapter2search

MuffinUnsane · Posted: Sun Mar 20, 2011 4:21 pm

Though her wings ached in protest with every beat Ember felt that she wasn't able to rest. Not just yet anyways.

It was a mircale in itself that the bird had survived the flood. Though she had almost made it above the waterline she still got caught up and dragged underneath. Luckily for her there had been some debris to cling too while she rode out on the waves. During that time she wondered if learning to swim was a good idea.

Now she was going back over the destroyed land. Below she could see the wreckage that the flood had caused and her gut twisted. So close. She had been so close to dying. Letting out a shaky breath she rubbed her eyes.

Now she was searching for someone. Jack. Even though the two had only known each other for a few days, Ember felt the need to at least try to find her. The reason also being she didn't know what else to do. Plus it helped keep her mind busy. Letting herself get closer to the ground she kept her eyes peeled for any sign. She had watched the eagle and Jack take the bomb out over the ocean and it was unlikely that either of them lived through it.

"Don't think like that. I'm sure she lived. Hell, even if that big bird lived I'll be happy", she muttered to herself as the sandy beach passed under her.

Kazz · Posted: Sun Mar 20, 2011 4:27 pm

A building or two away, a profoundly soggy-haired unicorn stood, and breathed out heavily as the sunlight began to gather. Rodolf looked something like a drowned rat, for the way his mane and hair hung down and around his body, and how his tail sopped; he definitely felt the part, for that matter. He had been tossed and turned in the wave; he may or may not have hit some particularly solid debris. At any rate, the unicorn was sore, and not about to do a victory dance.
Water was not his favorite thing, and he hadn't put too much stock, once the wave hit, in seeing the next morning. A sort of relieved smile crept its way onto his face.

Then he coughed out a bit of water.

He folded his arms and looked down to the street... only to spot a very discombobulated shark resting in a drooping, battered awning on the building opposite the one he was standing on.

A few kids were trying to poke him. He shook his head a couple times as he was prodded in the leg by a long stick, and let out a sort of slurred "hey, knock it off".

The shark looked around, trying to spot anyone he could recognize through the glare of sunlight and the simple, dizzying joy of not being dead. Mako was a bit better off than most, it would seem, if only because he had a slightly easier time remaining coordinated (and breathing) in the chaotic rush of water that seemed to have happened far longer ago than it had. He was still disoriented and felt deeply nauseous, and the fact that he was uncertain about anyone else's fates was putting a definite edge on the incredible feeling that he was alive and (relatively) okay.

"Anyone alive?" he tried with all his usual tact, a hint of worry creeping into his voice.

Jahkari · Posted: Sun Mar 20, 2011 6:46 pm

When she first opened her eyes, Key was solidly convinced she was dead. All she could see was the sky, which seemed to fit in with the whole 'oh look it's the afterlife' misconception, but really it was simply because she was sprawled on her back on top of a building. She only began to suspect she was not dead when she began to cough and she realized she was, in fact, completely soaked.

Pushing herself up, she blinked in shock. Nope, she wasn't dead; the scene that met her eyes was battered, but there were people around her, looking just as bewildered as she did to still be there... although she was one of the ones who should really be grateful to see be breathing. It didn't make sense for her to be alive whatsoever- she couldn't swim, and she had been virtually at the peak of the tower when the wave hit. Her last memory was the sense of impending doom as she watched the wave come towards her; she really had no idea how she had survived. Maybe she hit her head on a beam or something.

Taking quick stock of herself, she swore softy; her lock picks were gone, probably lost in the wave. She didn't even remember picking them back up after she unlocked the case. Oh, well. She had a spare set back home, and could always make or buy new ones. It was annoying, but. She was alive.

Glancing around, she could vaguely make some people out- the shark being harassed looked familiar, anyway, and then reasonably close by she spotted Rodolf, whom she definitely recognized. Perhaps she should've gotten up to speak to them, but Key found that standing up was harder than she remembered it- she had definitely taken a beating.

Mie · Posted: Sun Mar 20, 2011 10:58 pm

"...not like I'm suddenly into math or anything, but statistically speaking, we're overdue for catastrophe."

One monkey, drier than she had been all night, but still making the tell-tale *squish, squish, squish* cues of sopping socks, bounced alongside another brighter, but probably just as wet primate. Every now and again, she'd kick over some random piece of rubble, or peer nosily inside a broken window, ultimately shrugging, or shaking her head and moving along. Along the way, she'd skived a fistful of sandwiches off the back of a relief truck, and reclaimed a little lost energy as the pair walked, and talked, vaguely in search of something, while half-evaluating the damage. Jam moseyed along at a leisurely pace with a sandwich in each hand, and a water bottle under her elbow, while she spoke of decidedly morbid topics with an effervescent tone (and a full mouth).

"M'fink about't," *Gulp* "We've survived way more than our reasonable share, right? And that just doesn't really look good for, y'know, future escapades, or whatever. Don'tcha think? "

Sheff · Posted: Sun Mar 20, 2011 11:53 pm

"I'm still kickin'," heard the shark, the voice familiar, and much more upbeat than it was usually. Sheffer walked right on up to Mako, avoiding puddles of recent ocean water when he could looking tired, but alive, and glad of it.

The last thing the hedgehog remembered was the wall of water looming over him, and lacking a loftier position to have somewhat better resistance to the forces descending onto him, had been knocked out moments later by the impact of the water. Later, by some unknown miracle, he'd awoken to find himself still breathing, soaked to the bone... and hanging from a tree.

Dangling from a single foot, he'd jerked himself free and fell the ten feet with an oof, and after a few minutes of recollecting his thoughts and the circumstance of actually being alive, he set out to find out whatever survivors remained. Along the way, he took deep breaths, feeling as if his burdens had been washed away in almost a literal sense, feeling more energized than he had in days. Maybe just the prospect of surving, perhaps?

Now he stood above Mako, offering him a hand of assistance to his spot in the awning.

"C'mon, you ol' fish. You probably had it the easiest out of all of us." The comment sounded accusing, but his tone was in a joking manner, grinning slightly down to the shark.

Kazz · Posted: Mon Mar 21, 2011 12:32 am

Mako gave Sheffer a skeptical sort of look. "It still hurt, Captain Sparklepants," he protested, knowing his argument didn't hold much water -- pun completely intended. Mako had been at a distinct advantage, if only because he knew exactly why he didn't drown, and he knew it. He looked put out for a moment before he smiled.

"Well, at least you're still around," he said after a moment, and grinned. He got to his feet, and stood beside Sheffer in a moment. "It'd really suck not to have a tightwad straight-man to my funny-guy, y'know?"

psikeout · Posted: Mon Mar 21, 2011 12:41 am

As Rock trailed along behind Jam, he actually looked... happy, for once. It wasn't to say he was characteristically glum, but there had been heavy things to deal with for quite a while. He never took truly heavy things lightly. But now, at least for a little while, things were different.

He took a bite out of his sandwich with one hand, and stretched the other high above his head, rolling his shoulder to loosen it up. He felt better, but he was still a little tight from all those days of nonstop action. He could hardly complain, though.

"'Statistics' s'just a fancy word for 'mathematical bull%$*#,'" replied the simian. "'Sides, don'tchu wanna think about somethin' else?"

He had been behind, but he picked up the pace for a couple quick, hopping steps, to catch up beside her. They were coming up on some others maybe a block's distance ahead—looked like a hedgehog and his fishy friend.

"Tomorrow will worry about itself, y'know?" he further added to Jam, before he seized her water bottle and helped himself.

Sheff · Posted: Mon Mar 21, 2011 12:49 am

The shark's comment earned an immediate roll of the eyes from the hedgehog.

"You'd replace me, I know it," he said in almost a gruff manner, but grinned anyway. Sheffer's attitude at the moment seemed almost... unnatural compared to the last few days, but with his previous demeaning company during his roundabout in the GUN base, Mako was a refreshing change. There was also the fact he was still alive, coming to new realizations to his whole well-being, an otherwise sore and exhausted body seeming to have vanished over the night. He nearly questioned it, but he came to the conclusion he'd rather leave the mystery at rest.

"C'mon, better find whatever rendezvous point the others probably made. Meanwhile, you can tell me why the hell you decided to take on the brat last night..."

Before they had a chance to set off, though, Sheffer looked up to find the familiar couple of white and pink approaching. He didn't show much change in expression at the sight of them, but still raised a hand in a brief greeting as they drew nearer.

Mie · Posted: Mon Mar 21, 2011 1:07 am

With a momentary mock pout at the space where her water used to be, Jam quickly shrugged it off, and demolished the last half of one sandwich in one fell bite.

"Mmnt trunna be dow'er anifin'," she "clarified," warring with the pasty amalgamation of wet bread, peanut butter, and jelly. "Jus' frowin' 'deas zzroun." After much struggling, the jam-hued primate surrendered her losing battle, and reclaimed her drink to coerce the gooey lump of more-than-she-could-chew down her throat with a painful-sounding gulp, and accompanying wince.

Sniffing dismissively in a "you didn't see that" sort of attempted nonchalance, the simian girl skipped ahead, twirled about, and began to move at a backwards trot, so as to face Rock as she went. "So you pick the topic, then," she chirped.

"What do you wanna t-- OHOLY HELL!"

With a somehow damp-sounding thump, Jam hit the asphalt butt-first, her feet tangled in a water-logged, hideously familiar green sweatshirt.

"... Son. of. a. b***h."

psikeout · Posted: Mon Mar 21, 2011 1:13 am

Rock stopped, stared, blinked, stared, blinked a few more times... then popped the rest of his sandwich in his mouth, squatted, and plucked up the green, yellow and black article of clothing with piqued interest.

"... Score."

Diluss · Posted: Mon Mar 21, 2011 1:17 am

didn't know what was going to happen. It had to be seconds before the bomb was about to detonate and he didn't think he could feel any more of the Coop woke up.

He opened his eyes and stared at a blue sky.

Oh, he thought.

That's weird.

He lay there on the sand, for a moment, hearing the waves above-behind him—feeling the sun. He was at the same time as warm as he was cold. He had been in the sun for a while, and his front was very gently broasting under his feathers as his back lay in a trough of icy cold sand mud.

It was not entirely uncomfortable, but he could not seem to move. His limbs seemed to be held to the ground by suction—they probably were. He was aware of a gurgle underneath him that hinted at sticky and horrible organic things. He would not have been surprised to find enough seaweed on his back to make three bowls of very suspicious jello and a tray and a half of sushi.

He lay there for what seemed like a long time, before he noticed that that his feet were wet, too. He wiggled them. His shoes went squidge squidge, and it was at that point that it occurred to him that not only did he have shoes, but he was in a solid enough piece to still be wearing them.

Somewhere between him leaving the tower and waking up here, he assumed the bomb went off, but whatever it was that had happened had left him a complete blank.

He stood up.

"Concussion," he said to the air at large, "must be a…"

He felt the back of his head.

He frowned.

Not only was there no blood, there was no swelling, or even a tender spot.

He looked around on the beach, for a sign of someone he recognized, and largely saw only sand and seaweed, and the sun-beaten corpses of a thousand freshly dead fish, beached on the ground as far up as the forest in the distance.

Mie · Posted: Mon Mar 21, 2011 1:26 am

"I'm fine, thanks," snipped Jam, already on her feet, and examining with disdain the all-encompassing wet spot on the back of her newly dried shorts. "So's my ego."

"Figures that little turd had one more fart up 'is sleeve for me..."

MuffinUnsane · Posted: Mon Mar 21, 2011 1:36 am

"You! Yoooou!" called down a voice above Coop. A few seconds later Ember made a rather rough landing on the sand. She looked rather rough from the events that had passed. Some of the brown dye had been washed away and her feathers were a mottled mess of colors. The feathers that normally were smooth were ruffled up and a few were sticking out at odd angles. As she walked towards the eagle her shoes made sickly squishing noises.

"Okay. Big bird. You.", she started off with an accusing pointing finger, "You and Jack. You two went over the ocean. With the bomb. And I-um."

Pausing a moment she looked over the sea, attempted to gather her thoughts.

"Have you seen her? Ya know. Blondie girl. Oh I lost my glove..."

Distracted for a moment she stared down at the criss-crossing burn scars that covered her right hand. Finally her shoulders slumped and she glanced back at the eagle. Though she looked as though she would rather not say it, she did anyways.

"Thanks by the way. For flying the bomb out here. But Jack. Any seeing her?"

psikeout · Posted: Mon Mar 21, 2011 1:39 am

"At least you got a souvenir out of it," replied Rock with a shrug, pleased enough with the find.

He wrung it out a bit then held it up for a better look.

"I bet this'll fit."

Something was bound to go right (Ch. 2: Day 13) [Epilogue]

Who is online