Futuristic Dormant Hearts

[GasMaskie]

Morgan's eyes narrowed as Utsāha encircled the creature - he was quick to respond to the notification. Contempt had welled up inside him when he had heard the sword Husk pilot's response. Were they roleplaying as a soldier? It's easier to tell someone else to shoot if you don't have to worry about ammunition, wasn't it? If the sword-wielder failed to be useful other than a distraction, at least he could count on the red Husk with its sheer power. Silently, his mind turned as he considered the options for dealing with the berserk Husk. As the gun-toting Husk finished its maneuver, Morgan brought all of its armaments up to bear. Naturally, it stood at a point where neither of the two Husks were in range.

"Ida Sommers, it's time to end this, don't you think? Utsāha's sensors really are marvelous - firing data should be available in your overlay. I suppose if you want to be tricky about the shots, I've also included some calculations for ricocheting shots. No doubt more precise, but even less likely to hit a Husk. Rest assured in my abilities, I'm a genius." He steeled himself for the end. Perhaps it'd be even quicker just to relay the data telepathically. But that'd likely overwhelm her. With the way his mind worked, it was likely that attempting to invade his mind through the connection would end with her reeling in pain from the overload.

He had paid no mind to the words of Trócaire's main pilot - it was only natural that one of his peers would say something foolish. Nevertheless, he agreed with his co-pilot's sentiments. It also seemed that they boy had no concept of logistics - this likely wouldn't be the last of these monsters and specialized ammunition from the Second Confrontation was probably scarce. The pale boy made a mental note to go over Utsāha's logs as well - reviewing both the Husk's operational history and going over the fight would be a good start. The mental collection of old texts he hadn't gotten around to 'reading' would also no doubt help in his efforts to prepare.

They had, after all, awoken a war machine. If they weren't arrested or exiled, they'd likely be pressed into service. Soldiers dealing with the fallout of the last great war. At the very least, he felt fortunate to have ended up in the Husk with her. Though she seemed frail at first, it was clear that she had enough mental fortitude to fight. He could only imagine with glee the sorts of carnage and devastation she'd cause behind the controls of Utsāha.

(Re: Coin )

 

[Coin]

No one had to tell her twice. The fist-toting Husk sent the rampant machine spiraling into the air and crashing back down into a pathetic heap, writing in its death throes. A shimmering crystalline structure had exposed itself to Utsāha from this angle and Ida had the perfect shot. There was no more hesitation, no more nagging, or inane suggestions, only what had to be done. Ida held her breath as she zeroed all of Utsāha's cannons at the core of the machine -- what few layers of protection it could muster in a few seconds surely wouldn't be enough to survive a concentrated salvo of their Husk's entire arsenal.

"You've got this, Ida!" She could hear her sister cheer her on in the back of her mind as her fingers depressed the trigger controls. Of course she had this.

Another series of thunderous rumbling shook the Utsāha's cockpit as Ida fired her armaments simultaneously, focused entirely on the crystal core. Trees shook from the shockwaves of the cannons' discharge and streaks of energy raked through the air, sailing towards their target. Ida had not noticed until the second or third volley of Utsāha's main guns, but she had been letting out a war cry as she held the triggers down.

Ida had no intention of stopping until either all of Utsāha's guns were dry, or the machine-beast stopped moving at last.

((Re: GasMaskie , _Line 213 ))

 

[Soviet Panda]

The comms of Mitfuhlen briefly opened, whether by design or some fluke in the berserk Husk's programming, and pained screaming echoed briefly in the other pilot's cockpits before abruptly ending. There, indeed, was someone in that thing. They may have had their suspicions, but now it was confirmed. And whoever it was, was obviously not enjoying their time piloting. Mitfuhlen, however, did not care. It cared not for it's pilot, or the other Husks. As a bladed arm pierced into the ABE close to it, it snapped it's jaws at the offending arm, briefly letting up on it's prey. But sheer speed of Trocaire left only air for the berserk husk to chew on, so it resumed gnawing on it's prey.

It's attention was so great, it's focus so keen, that it did not notice the red husk rush it. So when an arm ripped it off of it's prey, several chunks coming with it, Mitfuhlen had not time to react. So through the air it flew, it's limbs flailing uselessly as it attempted to grab onto something and found nothing. It hit the ground with an earth shattering crash and slid as far as one would expect after being tossed by a husk with the strength to make flesh explode just by punching it. As it flew through the air, Mitfuhlen did spot something. Something that shone with a brilliance only it's systems, and perhaps those of other Husks, could register. That was it, that was what it had been looking for, buried away in it's prey.

As it came to a halt, it quickly got to it's feet and once more ran at it's prey. The fight was coming to a close, the kill within reach. But it knew that tooth and claw would not be enough, not for the core. Reaching behind it's back, it grabbed a two handed axe. Where that axe had come from is unknown, it had not been visible as it clawed at the enemy, but it certainly had one now. And so it rushed the downed enemy, uncaring of what or who else might be in it's way. If a husk was in it's way, it Mitfuhlen lowered it's shoulder and shoved them out of the way. And as it got closer to it's prey, it raised it's axe in anticipation. It could almost hear the screams the thing would give off as it's core was shattered into thousands of little pieces.

 

[dwif]

Sebastian reeled from the screaming that had just come blasting through the comms. That berserk husk, did it have people inside? No, if it was more than one person they would have gotten control of it by now. If everyone else had experienced the pain of linking with the husk, was this person doing it alone without a way to stop it? His mind raced. Even if they did stop this monster, they'd have to deal with the berserk husk. What would even stop it? Would it come down to destroying the husk and sacrificing whoever was inside. He had made his choice, he had to act now while the monster was still acting as some sort of distraction for the group.

He opened comms once again "Everybody keep your attacks away from that feral husk. I'm gonna try something really dumb and hope it works." Closing the comms he took time to calm his nerves. Was he really about to do this? If he didn't it could cost someone's life, and he wasn't prepared to wait to see if that was the situation would come to. "Hexa, I'm going to need you to take my place. Mochi, I'll need your help to get across to the other husk. As soon as I'm in or even if I fall make sure to put distance between you and that thing. Who knows what's going to happen."

He got up and walked over to the hatch the three of them entered through, stretching to prepare his body for the most idiotic thing that he had done to date. Opening the hatch he looked back once more "Wish me luck." Before climbing out onto Trocaire's body. The wind up here was incredible. Was it just because of the height or the movement of these things? He couldn't tell, nor did he have the time to figure that out. The climb was hard, and finding anything to hold onto was difficult. Relying on the vines and plantlife that hadn't been completely torn away upon the husk's awakening, he carefully made his way to Trocaire's arm. He stuck low to the husk's metalwork, pulling himself steadily along until he reached the hand. Raising himself into a crouching position he prepared to make the jump between the husks. He held his breath, silently praying that Mochi wouldn't make an error costing him his life.

Entity.Eclypse
Inactive User 002
Soviet Panda
Anyone else on the comms

 

[Entity.Eclypse]

Mochi had just pulled one arm back when the comms had been blasted, the blood-curdling scream resonated in her eardrums. She figured that if it continued much longer then it could cause actual damage. Oddly enough she could still hear the scream faintly when the intercom let off, the hatch of the enraged husk seemed to have been open. The person who entered it must have been getting hit by whatever onslaught this creature had brought about with it, or maybe they were still trying to link with the husk and it had awoken in the middle of such. It could have been a forced activation, from her time with trying to force technology to work... it always, always turned out negative. These creatures seemed to have a personality, a soul, so being forced to preform the will of someone else would explain why it had gone berserk to begin with.

The moment Trocaire's comms opened again she turned to look at Sebastian with a raised brow. "You mean you're going to do the normal for you?" She smirked. That of course abandoned her face when he explained the start of his plan, "You don't mean that seriously. You could die doing tha-" This was when he released the controls and began his departure. Her mind was assaulted once more, the dulled pain returned with a fierce vengeance. Stabbing with aggressive intentions but then retreating just before they had connected with their target. He eyes knit shut with the pains first resurgence. However she opened them afterwards, managing to keep her mind from getting overwhelmed. She knew that it was merely a matter of time, and the hourglass was loosing granules of sand at an expedited rate. She shook her head and the husk responded the same way.

Opening one pained eye she noticed that Mitfuhlen was charging the downed thing that they had been fighting, it seemed to be on it's last legs while the screaming husk was attempting to hit some form of power attack. He'd made it to their husks hand, she curled it's fingers around the smaller form. "Seb you look like an i-insect right now. Fuck. If this plan doesn't work then I'm not taking responsibility for your death, and I'm taking your bike." She growled through gritted teeth, this was emulated by the husk mimicking and speaking for her. Glancing up she noticed that the green husk was lining up a shot, The trajectory seemed to be aiming for them, if that thing hit them who knew what it would bring with it. The pain shot through her head now, an awful pressure began to build in her skull.

Her voice had dropped to a whisper now, "H-hexa.. the controls. Get on them as soon as we hit the ground." she spoke and the next part of her actions came through. The hand holding Seb jetted forward, the blade sliding back as not to risk injuring the pilot within. It came to an abrupt stop and cast Sebastian, not unlike a die, rolling him within the chamber of Mitfuhlen. "Sebastian get on the controls quickly!" She spoke before using one of the hands to shut the hatch. From here she swept her leg out to try and knock down the rogue husk before falling to the ground herself. "N-now Hexa... please" She said as it felt like the husk was pulling her in. A slightly black edge taking her vision now.

Interactions: dwif Soviet Panda Inactive User 002

 

[Lucem]

It was like a dream. Ancient Husks that had fallen victim to time now stood tall and proud above the trees, free from their verdant chains as their previously hidden luster was released. It was a dream that came to him many times in his sleep. However, in those nightly visions, the monster that emerged from the forest was nowhere to be seen. Neither was this destructive battle.

Everything had happened so quickly, the severity of the situation escalating with each passing moment after his fall from the Husk. That same machine, like the others that resembled it, was in a desperate battle. The sound of gunshots that fired in between the pained roars of the beast rang through the air, coupled with the crunching and snapping of the forest as everything in its path was absorbed. Metal scraped against metal as large blades and heavy hands collided against each other, creating shock waves from the impact that sent more birds away from their ruined homes. Even as the sounds of war and the scurrying of animals fleeing for shelter filled his ears, he could still hear the ticking of his watch. A tick for each second that passed during this dangerous event. A tick for every thought that went through his mind, each filled with concern and regret.

Even though the valley's wildlife had chosen to make their escape, Alex stood firmly in place, paying no mind to each creature that passed him by. He didn't think of them. He didn't think about the deafening sounds of battle and Column's alarms. Not once did he think about his own safety. At that moment, he only had one thing on his mind. He was worried about the pilots.

Alex only knew two of the people that were in this mess. However, it didn't take much to guess that each Husk was being controlled by the other children. It didn't matter if they were his close friends or classmates that he didn't know very well. Either way, he was worried about them. He wanted them to be safe. He wanted to help them. He wanted to do something. Although, no matter how much he wanted to, there was nothing he could do to make that happen.

The only thing that could stand up to the large creature hurting his friends was a Husk. The only thing that could support them was a Husk. The only way he could help was with a Husk. No matter how many alternatives he considered, there were none. Piloting a Husk himself was the only way he could do something for them. However, he had seen it himself earlier. Those machines required two people to work as a team. Right now, he was alone.

Powerless to do anything. Unable to help anyone. All he could do was watch, hoping everyone would be okay. As his nails dug into his palms, he could feel the stinging sensation from his wounds once again. Standing there, all he could do was listen to the ticks.

Soon, a reminder of the world outside of this battle arrived. The familiar rumbling drowned out the ticks that had been playing in his ears, removing the noises that sounded several times louder to him as he watched. Before he even saw them, Alex could tell by the motors what was coming. Headlights shined through the dust as each car drove by, carrying adults closer to the chaotic scene. All except one of them kept driving.

A mixture of earthy colors had gathered on the white exterior, resembling the clothes of the driver that suddenly charged at him. He didn't pay much attention to her attire after finally recognizing who the person was. It was a face he hadn't seen in a long time, almost as long ago as the last time he had seen his mother's. Mrs. Kent. As she took hold of his shoulders, Alex remembered her clearly. The appearance was unmistakable. Before he could speak, he was already being whisked away. As she grabbed his arm, he could feel the earlier pain flare up once again. There wasn't even time to answer the woman's questions. Perhaps that was for the best. When she turned away from him, she probably didn't see his surprised expression turn to one that was less pleasant.

Did he know where his father was? Was he supposed to have an answer for that? There wasn't a single day in his life that he could answer that question unless the man was standing right in front of him. Not when he was a kid, and definitely not now. He wasn't sure how long it had been since he last saw his father. The time was always far too long to bother keeping track of. It was more likely that someone like Modestine would know his whereabouts. Work was practically that man's home, so a colleague would be the best person to ask. If she didn't know, then Alex certaintly wouldn't be of any help. There was no reason why the son of someone like that would know.

The thoughts about his father were quickly chased away by a frightened scream and a powerful shake. While the car had nearly avoided being crushed by the toppled trees, both Alex and Modestine almost suffered the same fate as one of the Husks fell to the forest floor. Seeing the machine being knocked down by the monster that threatened the lives of his friends and everyone else in town, Alex could only think about the safety of whoever was inside. He was worried about them. He was worried about the people still standing. He wanted to run to it in an attempt to do something. Anything. His body had almost moved by itself to do so, but he only budged a bit as the Husk stood once again before returning to battle.

He didn't like this. He didn't like not being able to do anything while other people were in harm's way. He was frustrated. While everyone was in danger, he was being dragged to safety. That didn't feel right to him. Even if he couldn't do anything, he wanted to stay. He wanted to watch to the very end, if only to make sure that they would be safe. However, he knew he couldn't. As he stared at Modestine's crying face, he knew that wasn't right either.

If he stayed here, he'd just be a nuisance. Just a moment ago, he had almost been crushed. There was no guarantee that he'd be that fortunate again. There was the possibility that he wouldn't make it out of this alive. If that happened again and he died, that would make one of his friends a murderer. He didn't want that. Not ever. Besides, it wasn't just his life that was in danger.

Modestine was worried about him. She was here because of him. She was scared. She was crying. The longer she stayed here, she would be in greater danger. She'd continue to be frightened. As much as he hated the thought of leaving, he hated having her stay here with him much more. His desire to watch over his friends was selfish and it would endanger another life. If leaving here with Modestine meant that she would be safe, then he'd let go of those desires. He'd push down every last thought and bottle every emotion that told him to stay.

Removing his arm from the woman's weakened grip, Alex put a comforting smile on his face, similar to the one he wore atop the Husk before his fall. He took her hand into his and kept a firm as he motioned toward the car, trying to keep them moving as the forest continued to fall apart. Right now, this was the only thing he could do. "Let's go."

_Line 213

 

[_Line 213]

Lucem

As soon as Alex was safely within the car, Modestine pulled herself in, slamming the door and sitting in silence for several moments, white knuckles gripping the steering wheel for a period of silence perhaps unjustified, considering their danger. For a moment, it might even have seemed as if she couldn't remember how to drive.

Then, suddenly, she started the car, threw it into reverse, and looked over her shoulder as she retraced her steps out of the wooded valley. Her shallow breathing came quickly, and tears continued to periodically fall from her eyes as she blinked to keep her vision clear. Her composure, though unremarkable, was enough to keep her going throughout the entirety of the ordeal. In time, wheels bumped upward onto blacktop, the ride becoming far smoother as Modestine spun the wheel and aligned the two passengers with the roadway. Then, she hit the gas, the vehicle careening forward along the right side of a lone, dotted line.

They were not pointed in the direction of Column.

The standard-issue radio embedded just below the dashboard momentarily crackled to life. "This is a reminder that all vehicles carrying children must immediately return to Column. Please--"

Click. Modestine's hand shot forward, latching itself to the volume knob and twisting it all the way to one end, all lights on the device immediately dying in tandem with the brief sound. Her voice was the only one that filled the car's cabin, now. "Alex, I need you to do something very important, do you understand me? It's very important." Briefly, she tore her eyes and attention from the roadway, looking to Alex with tear-stained cheeks. One hand pulled away from the wheel, wiping at her face before immediately grasping it once more in time to make a rather reckless turn, briefly skidding onto the other side of the white line before correcting her path. Then, she glanced down, as if offering some sort of indication.

"There's a little door down there, just beneath the radio, do you see it? I need you to open that. There's a little white disc with a blinking blue light in there. I need you to unplug it. Then, I need you to twist off the bottom half and remove the batteries. This is very important, okay?" Her voice shook on the last few words, the coated woman taking in a sharp breath as she seemingly steeled herself. For what, however, was unknown.

Somewhere far behind, echoing booms crashed over the mountains.

 

[dwif]

"Knock knock." groaned Sebastian after being unceremoniously tossed into the husk. He knew that he shouldn't have expected a smooth landing, but that was something else. He groaned as he sat himself up in the husk's interior. His whole body was screaming out in pain. He reached his hand to his head only for it to be met by an unnatural warmth. He had hit his head against a panel upon entering, opening a large gash above his right eye. Blood was flowing freely from the wound, and began to impair his vision. He made futile attempts to stop the blood flow with his sleeve, with the only real effect being the crimson blossoming up his shirt sleeve. He needed to check if he had any other serious injuries before he jumped back into the action. Despite his wrist hurting, he could still move it meaning it wasn't broken. The same couldn't be said for his ribs. His breathing had become painful, he briefly poked at them before recoiling in pain. Some were definitely broken but he could still move.

He limped his way across to the controls, calling out to the boy that was piloting alone "You alright? Well I'm guessing not. Don't worry it'll be over in a second." He didn't know if the boy could hear him or if he was completely locked into the husk, but he felt that he should try and comfort him even if there was only the slimmest chance he could hear him. Leaning his weight on the controls he slid into his new seat. He braced himself for another mental assault before reaching out and grabbing the controls.

Soviet Panda
_Line 213 (If anything happens when he grabs the controls)

 

[Inactive User 002]

The fight seemed to be going well at least Hexa thought they were doing ok. Unfortunately Hexa was disturbed from her train of thought by the feral Husk and the pain that came over the comms system. She felt pity for whoever was in so much pain and worried that they might not recover if left to long. Hexa imagined that they might be piloting solo considering both Seb and Mochi had felt discomfort initially. Maybe that is why two people were needed to spread the load and make it manageable.

Suddenly snapped out of her thoughts Hexa heard Seb say he was going to do something stupid. Hexa snidely thought to herself when did he come up with something that wasn't completely stupid. Though she did like the fact she would be taking over his place her mouth hung open in shock at his plan. It wasn't just stupid it was down right suicidal idea. Before Hexa could say something and stop this madness it was already to late. Hexa could only laugh nervously at Mochi's comment about taking Sebs bike if he died. Admittedly Hexa might find Seb annoying and stupid, but she didn't want him to die. Especially not since she was now starting to admire his bravery.

Unbelievably he made it on to the berserk Husk fine due to Mochi's effort. She hated the pained look the returned to the girls face. She wondered if this went on if Mochi would end going berserk like the other Husk. When Mochi told her to get on the controls Hexa could feel the pleading in the girls voice and it hurt Hexa's heart as she imagined the Mochi's control was slipping. Almost tripping over herself Hexa made it into the seat Seb had occupied not so long ago. Pausing for a minute Hexa wondered if the Husk would accept another pilot. But she could think about that now so gritting her teach and closing her eyes bracing herself for the pain Hexa's hands grabbed the controls.

Entity.Eclypse
dwif
_Line 213 (just in case Husk has a reaction to a new pilot)

 

[CerpinTaxt]

It took some time, but the Husk was finally on the move. The hulking, decrepit machine was making its way to the conflict, seemingly a bit late to the party. Those first few steps seemed nervous at first, as if the husk were walking for the first time. Most certainly due to the inexperience of the pilots inside. The foot of the machine knocked the trees that were in its path out of the way as if they didn't exist in the first place. The arm which held the large blade connected to its forearm remained at the front of itself for the first few steps. Most certainly because Luka had forgotten that he was the one controlling it.

The steps became more confident. Forceful. It just took time to learn, like riding a bike. The steps even transitioned to a sort of 'jog' of one could call it that. "I apologize that we're a bit late. This isn't the most simple thing to get used to." Luka's voice came through the comms during one of the few moments of silence. He didn't want to interrupt anyone after all. It seemed they'd taken care of the creature anyway. Or atleast contained it. Were the two of them even needed now? Probably not.

The other husks were beating that thing to a pulp. Gunfire from one. A large axe from another. Absolute mayhem, nearly too much to truly comprehend at the moment. He didn't want to accidentally get in the line of fire of Utsāha and he really didn't want to get in the way of Mitfuhlen's axe. It was frankly a bit of a toss up. They really had arrived a bit too late. Luka felt himself to be out of options, left to wait until there was finally an opening.

The husk seemed to disagree. Thoughts entered Luka's mind, thoughts that..well they didn't seem like his own. Raise up the arm, and shoot the blade. Not something Luka had thought it could do. A small aiming interface popped up in his view as he pressed one of the other buttons that was near his controls. The arm was moving by itself and it was aiming towards the creature. It seemed Luka was even able to speed up the process as he manipulated the arm and prepared it to fire.

Luka gave the button a press, watching as the blade was shot forward with impressive speed. A faint boom came from the arm, followed by the sound of rattling chains. A humongous chain connected the husk and its blade, unfurling itself as it flew through the air. He truly hoped this wouldn't interfere with anyone else's plan. The 'plan' was simple. The husk seemed to be struggling to explain it as well. Whatever that shining thing that Mitfuhlen was striking at was important. If it breaks, it's sure to be done for. Shoot the blade into its body and if it didn't hit that shiny thing, it would at least immobilize it.

"I..hope this doesn't ruin anyone's ideas."

It really was more than just some machine. It certainly had a better plan than Luka ever could have came up with.

GasMaskie Coin _Line 213 Soviet Panda

 

[Entity.Eclypse]

The darkness encroached upon her vision, the light from the panels within the husk seemed to be stripped away as it's thoughts tore past her own. It felt like a vortex of daggers had furiously begun to swirl about her. The hands of the husk gripped at the ground, fingers digging into it the soil below them in a way of fighting the husk's influence on her. The mind of the machine was trying to take over her own, and push her away from control on the beings mechanical form. She wouldn't be surprised if this thing had some form of brain in it, or maybe it was managing to use the brain of it's pilot in substitute to not having it's own. Regardless of how it functioned she knew one thing strictly, Trocaire was painful. It brought pain to it's pilots and she was shouldering all of that right now.

Her vision had almost went entirely black, the light being stolen by the overwhelming darkness. A stinging sensation dulled out even the feeling of Hexa moving from behind her. She felt like she was freezing, it felt like something was sitting on her chest and forcing her breath away. It was an unbearable crushing weight that continued to plague her for a few seconds more, then her breath returned. The vortex in her mind now fading away into the much duller pain from before, light began to flood back into her eyes once more as she looked at the panels. Her head swiftly turned to Hexa who had gripped the controls and already seemed to be bracing for the pain. There was practically no distance between the two of them, as Mochi's head retained it's location as chest-height on Hexa. She didn't lay her head against the other girls chest however, instead prompting to watch her new partner.

It felt like she wasn't the only one in this now, instead that she had a partner in controlling this large machine. "Thank you... Hexa." she said before using her control of the upper-body to prep them in standing up, she had to ready the machine so Hexa wouldn't have too difficult of a time. Maybe she'd have better luck with controlling this things legs than Seb did. She hoped so at least.

Mentions: Inactive User 002 (Hexa)

 

[_Line 213]

The valley and all of its trees shook against tumultuous winds as the great machines railed against their common enemy, the vicious being having devolved into a writhing mass of desperate limbs and tentacles, grabbing outward for anything and everything that it could use to repair itself. Yet, all that it could repair was singed away by repeated gunfire, each shot piercing through reforming flesh to re-expose the entity's core as the flash of flying plasma illuminated Utsāha's form and the valley around it. Artificial flesh bubbled and fell away like slag, melting around the lattice-work of the outer core as the heat of each impact forced it away from the spaces it desperately attempted to reinforce.

Bounding up and over the forest trees, one of the other machines momentarily took flight, crashing down with unexpected force upon the exposed core, even despite the dangers of approaching in the midst of live fire. The Husk roared as its weapon bit into the exposed core, cracking and shattering the upper portion of the special lattice. Airborne portions of the beast's delicate central mind were nearly beautiful in their own way, taking the form of fine powders and shards of crystal from the high and distant vantage points of the gigantic Husks. On the ground, many fell like meteorites, peppering the ground and splintering ancient trunks as they careened down slopes and into bushes and underbrush. The monster let out a wild, unreal screech, its vocal chords performing a twisted emulation of some sort of gigantic, dying animal as it thrashed ever harder, its form growing less and less coherent, yet not quite melting all the same. Once more, its artificial essence shone through, its silhouette spiking and fractalizing in a variety of different ways as it struggled to find some form, any form, that could maintain some sort of structural integrity.

The last Husk to join the others finally ended the beast's apparent suffering, the final operational pieces of its core shattered by a long blade attached to a chain, rending the last minor portion into another set of diamond-esque dust. The remaining essence of the creature surged outward, oozing in some strange semi-liquid form between trees and over plants before finally coming to a stop, splattered against the mountain like some dark, unnatural, eternal form of snow.

---​

Modestine let out a quiet sigh as Alex did what he was told, almost appearing to relax slightly despite their situation. Every looming boom that shook the vehicle automatically reinvigorated her grip on the wheel, the inescapable sounds of battle serving as an apt reminder of all that had happened so far. There was no conversation to be had, no small-talk to close the gap between years.

Perhaps at some other time there might have been.

"...I'm so sorry that we have to see each other again like this," she mustered, the lone line appearing to be all she could manage in the midst of her nerves. Though she parted her lips in hopes she would be able to continue, no more came other than a brief, unintelligible start to a word that was ultimately abandoned. After another long pause, the woman briefly glanced down to the small disc in Alex's hand, before turning her eyes back to the roadway. "You can put that back in there," she muttered quietly.

Once again, the drive returned to silence, the car careening down the roadway as fast as it could safely go. No others approached from behind, nor shot towards them from the opposite direction. They had long gone farther out into the wilderness than anyone cared to journey on foot, and the surrounding trees were nothing if not foreign.

Then, the trees stopped.

Modestine hammered on the breaks, the car squealing painfully as it forced itself to a stop, the odd smell of heated rubber tinting the nostrils of both passengers as Modestine pushed open the door and stood, eyes wide with terror once more.

On the far end of their vision was a line of trees. Smoldering wreckage that had no place near the roadway lay on the side, its source seemingly a broken building that was once shrouded by greenery. From one end of the newly-created clearing to the other, there was only dust, dirt, and sand.

 

[Soviet Panda]

Connor was losing himself in the storm. He had started to remind himself of who he was. That his name was Connor McKinley and he was from the city of Column. However, sometimes, he had called himself Mitfuhlen. He caught himself those times, but the mere fact that he had called himself the creature that was trying to consume him was unnerving. No, he had to resist harder, he had to fight back, he had to beat this thing even if it seemed impossible. He had to.

But then another presence entered the fray. Instinctively, Connor mentally backed away from it. It had to be like Mitfuhlen, there had been nothing else but Mitfuhlen so it made sense. But it didn't seem to want to hurt him, it felt like it wanted to help. Lies. It was trying to trick him, to draw him in. Not with force, like Mitfuhlen, but with promises of something better. He would not be fooled, it was almost insulting to him for it to think that it could fool him so easily. And hell, for all he knew, if he beat that presence then he'd have a better chance of beating Mitfuhlen.

So, mentally preparing himself, he threw his presence at the other, new one.

 

[Inactive User 002]

Hexa was right about the experience being unpleasant feeling the pain, but there was more to it than that. Though if someone asked Hexa later what is was she doubted she could explain it properly. All she knew was that these memories and emotions flooding in and out of her mind were beyond anything she herself had experienced. Through her pained haze though she could feel the presence of her fellow pilot, however what frightened and fascinated her was she could feel the Husk as well. Hexa wondered if the Husk had a mind then what did it feel during it long period of inaction and what it felt before that.

Finally getting a bit more of a grip as the pain slowly subsided she tried to slowly process what was happening. Hearing Mochi saying thank you made Hexa feel good about herself though still in pain she couldn't respond for a few good minutes, "didn't have much of a choice Mochi couldn't let you go berserk like that other." She tried to sound a bit cheeky though it was hard with the pain still subsiding making her voice a bit strained, "that Seby guy doesn't have a lot of brains does he? But he certainly has balls."

Hexa was trying to get the Husk moving not only to get back in the fight, but also she didn't want to be a sitting duck. She felt useless as the monster was being torn apart by gunfire and the finally finished of with wicked cool sword on a chain! The creature died like some wounded animal which made Hexa flinch a bit and feel sorry for it before reminding herself that it had to be done. Frustrated that she had only managed to get the Husk standing before the creature was destroyed Hexa wanted to kick something. So the Husk did as she thought and a car sized bolder was kicked a few hundred meters, "oops." Seeing no point staying in the Husk Hexa asked Mochi, "so you want to go for a little joy ride or do want to try and get out of here before the adults come? I think we going to be busted no matter what we do so I don't mind. Probably going to be punished for saving their asses too. By the way where do you think that thing came from."

Entity.Eclypse

 

[dwif]

As soon as Sebastian touched the controls his vision went dark. He had been prepared for a bombardment of emotions like when he entered Trocaire, but this was different. He was instantly pulled deep into this storm of emotions, with the mental assault never ceasing and giving him a time to rest. Was it this unstable because it was trying to work with one person?

He held strong searching for the presence that he could only assume was the husk, hoping that if he reached out to it the assault would stop like before. It didn't take long to for him to find what he was looking for. It was the eye of the storm, where the emotions and pain seem to be strongest. But it was not alone. The other pilot? It seemed to react to his presence, and began to back off. He needed some way of closing the gap between them. Someway of relieving his classmate's burden. So he did all he could think of, turning his attention away from his classmate he tried to accept as much of Mitfühlen as he could. Hopefully that would help clear the boy's mind. As Seb reached out to Mitfühlen accepting it as part of himself, he sensed the boy approaching him, he felt his anger and pain. If he was going to attack Seb would have to accept it taking the assault from both him and Mitfühlen.

Seb was at the mercy of both of these forces. If they needed to attack him to sync up, he was waiting.

Soviet Panda
_Line 213 (In case anything bad happens to Seb)

 

[GasMaskie]

"...Disgusting." That's all that Morgan could say as he watched the creature's essence splatter the surrounding area. He was pretty sure that the girl at the other end of the connection was aware of what the result of its death throes seemed to resemble. Other than that, a slight disappointment had welled up inside him. It wasn't Utsāha's costly bullets that had slain the beast. Rather, it was a lucky shot from a Husk that had barely even moved. Well, it's not as if she had ever fired a gun before. Probably.

With the enemy defeated, the boy focused on the next matter at hand. While they had prevented Column from being destroyed, he was now a legitimate criminal and any sort of salvation would likely be rendered moot by the fact that the creature seemed to have been attracted to the mass-awakening of the Husks in the first place. As for his co-pilot, she'd likely be seen as an accomplice of sorts. Something he didn't mind too much in all honesty - his ribs still hurt from where she had kicked him. As his mind raced, he resisted the urge to figure out the color of her underwear once more. Morgan set his priorities straight and began to silently move the green Husk around the valley once more.

The gun-toting Husk returned to where it had awakened - he was careful enough to avoid stepping on bicycles. Most of which had been taken back during the evacuation. He couldn't care one way or another if his bike had been wrecked, but he couldn't say the same for her. The uncertainties surrounding her also meant that suggesting that the two of them escape Column in a newly-awakened Husk was out of the question. Someone like him was able to abandon everything if needed and relocate. But she likely had a family who cared. Escaping on foot would be significantly more difficult, especially on his own. But he had contingencies for this sort of thing. Starting over in a different colony as well wouldn't be too bad with the funds he had already accrued.

There was still one thing he had left to do, however. He mentally pinged Ida - simultaneously releasing the controls would probably put Utsāha back to sleep once more. Even if the Husk was standing, there was likely a way to rapidly descend from the cockpit.

"Ida Sommers, would you mind helping me out with one more thing?" It was time to say farewell.

(Re: Coin )

 

[Coin]

Ida didn't care anymore. She didn't care if Utsāha's cannons were empty, she didn't care that they weren't the ones to defeat the machine-beast. The moment that the other Husks were about to cross into her field of fire, she let go of the triggers and watched them slaughter the weakened thing like a den of foxes descending upon a fresh hunt.

Numbness had started to envelop her body as the excess adrenaline ran its course through her brain and she began to calm down. She was so scared, and trying to compartmentalize everything that had just transpired only made her mounting anxiety worse. Tears blurred her vision once more and her breath was short and ragged. Her grip on the controls tightened, only barely keeping her grounded to reality. Meanwhile, Morgan piloted them away from the scene without a word to the others in the melee -- not that Ida minded.

Ida had become so disconnected with herself that her link with Morgan had loosened to about surface level, settling down to a degree that was only just able to move the Husk. In fact, Ida in her silent sobs and loose breaths nearly forgot that Morgan was there at all until his thoughts nudged hers back into consciousness. As he let go of the controls, so did she and their link melted away with Utsāha. She curled her legs up to her chest and wrapped her arms around her knees, letting out a broken sigh.

"What is it?" Ida whispered her gaze fixed upon a blank spot on the inside of the cockpit. She was nearly monotone, and her voice had returned once more to its soft hush.

((Re: GasMaskie ))

 

[GasMaskie]

As soon as Utsāha went dormant once more, the young man carefully slipped on his gloves. He moves his fingers, feeling a slight comfort in the sensation of cloth that enveloped each hand. In the midst of that blissful reunion, however, he was brought out of it by sight of the girl. To think that someone like her, who had been so swept into the aggression and blood-lust that accompanied battle, would immediately go back to crying was beyond him. Ida Sommers. An interesting girl for sure.

His brow furrowed as he brought a hand to his chin. There were other factors at work here to be sure, but it was possible that this was partly his fault. Involving her in this whole ordeal was ultimately beneficial, but she had been made to play the role of a soldier. Morgan scratched the back of his head before moving across the cockpit to grab his bag once more. Another gag? No, the timing wasn't right. She'd probably push him right out of the cockpit if he had tried. He bit his lip as he set his backpack down and retrieved the most important contents of it. He didn't return to her side with his copy of The Golden Bough, however.

He remained just out of her field of vision. Then, carefully, much like someone might pick up a snake, the pale genius removed her beret and placed a hand on her head. Was this the sort of thing people did to comfort others? A hug seemed rather difficult with her curled up like that. It was something that his mother had done at times, perhaps it was a appropriate now. A simple, wordless head pat. Humans were creatures who craved a tactile response, at least that's what a book had suggested at one point. Morgan gently tousled her hair - at the very least, his gloves were silken and soft to the touch. A few minutes passed before he removed his hand from her immediate vicinity and placed the beret back on her head.

Morgan moved to the Husk's hatch. With one gloved hand, the young man pulled the release and opened up the cockpit once more. The orange light of the sun as it set upon the valley flooded into the cockpit. His small, thin frame became a silhouette as brought his hand up to shield his eyes from the glare. The winds outside were particularly strong, especially at the height which Utsāha stood. In slow sunset's glow, the object he held was revealed.

An urn. Pink. The pattern on it featured birds on a flowering plant.

"It's time to say my farewells. Help me spread my mother's ashes."

(Re: Coin )

 

[Coin]

When Ida was angry or brooding, Ana used to tousle her hair about every which way to get her to crack a smile. Ida hated when her hair was a mess, she hated when others touched her, but somehow Ana always found a way to wash all of that away. Maybe it was the hair tousling in conjunction with her infectious laughter and playful attitude, neither of which Morgan possessed. Whether it was because she had no more energy to fight back, or if she truthfully appreciated it, Ida gave into his awkward patting. Strangely enough, it was the most comfortable she'd felt around him.

Ida loosened up from her curled up ball and had stopped crying when Morgan placed her beret back atop her head. She wiped the last of her tears away and sniffled, fixing her hair and hat until it was the way she found comfortable. Now, she watched in silence as Morgan made his way to his bag and fished about for its contents. When he eventually produced an urn, Ida tilted her head in confusion.

"W-wha..." She muttered, but Morgan cut her off.

She blinked a few times, then, at the protest of her strained muscles and pounding headache she made her way to stand besides him. Ida had so much to ask, but she was too far beyond words. The most prevalent feeling that knotted in her heart was that of empathy. So, even under the ego, the poorly timed jokes and gloves, Morgan knew what it was like to lose someone too. Ida bit her bottom lip as she breathed in the open air and felt the last warm rays of the sun on her skin once more. Ida wouldn't let a moment of iciness between them be their moment to remember such a tumultuous day by.

Without another moment of thought, she reached besides her and wrapped Morgan in a loose embrace, paying careful mind to the urn. She rested her cheek on his shoulder and hummed in affirmation, "I'll help."

It's what she would have done, even if the two of them hadn't fought for their lives surrounded by several thousand tons of armor and cannons. She would have helped, even if all she knew about Morgan was inappropriate comments and haughty self-praise, because that was what felt right.

Ida peeled away from their brief embrace, a hint of warmth on her cheeks and the tips of her ears and gently placed a hand on top of the urn.

"Whenever you're ready."

((Re: GasMaskie ))

 

[Entity.Eclypse]

Mochi gripped the controls of the husk tightly, still just trying to readjust from the nightmare she'd gone through moments prior. That must have been what the other husk had been feeling, hers was no more than a minute but... the person piloting the berserker must have been in utter agony. She swallowed nervously before glancing to Hexa once more, a small smile gracing her face. "I guess you're right, going berserk in one of these things sounds dangerous as is." She held a quieter tone now, taking in the sounds of the husk, the death of whatever creature had sulked out of the woods. All of it was surreal to her now, not only was that creature existent. Something they'd never been told about in their home, but these husks were still operational and if she had to assume... they were meant for killing them.

She could tell Hexa was still getting used to the pain that Trocaire brought with it, the presence of the three retained itself among her mind, and with Hexa here she could trust that the machine wouldn't go off on her quite yet. She shook her head for a moment to return to her normal actions, "Seb doesn't seem to think that's for sure. But i'm not too sure of what's up with him, I just know there's a line between stupidity and bravery. Which side he's on may be better left unsaid." She leaned back in the seat noticing that she had began to slump forward. It wasn't the most comfortable to sit normally in the seat she had, given that it seemed the machine wanted her to lean against her partner. She tried to ignore that figuring it would be more embarrassing than not.

The head of the husk watched the boulder travel, tracking it until it disappeared among some trees then returning on the foot to make sure it hadn't been damaged. "I don't doubt the adults will punish us for being in these things. They'd all focused on the 'next generation' so they'll fuss even if we hadn't activated these. We can do whatever you want... but I'd like for us to move away from that thing before hand" She motioned her head to the monitors which were now focused on the the goo that had become whatever creature they had been fighting.

"As to where that thing came from... honestly I have no idea. It felt like Trocaire didn't want to fight it though, so it had to have been around since Trocaire at least." She pondered for a moment but didn't spend much more time on the subject. Instead deciding to think on what was to come, surely they wouldn't be allowed back in Column. They now knew things that... she doubted the adults even knew. "I'm sorry that you had to sit behind me so long... I know it couldn't have been too comfortable for you." She spoke with a somber tone, though it came out of seemingly nowhere.

Mentions: Inactive User 002 (Hexa)

 

[GasMaskie]

His eyes widened slightly at her contact. Naturally, he expected a good-natured girl like her to help anyways. It made the boy's heart race for a moment - her scent would probably stick to him for some time. Not that he'd mind. More importantly, it was comforting. A show of solidarity of sorts. Empathetic. It seemed that trying to pat her head was a good idea, however. As she finally pulled away and placed a hand on the urn, Morgan fixed his gaze out towards the farthest reaches of the sun-touched valley. He had deliberately faced Utsāha in a way that they had been afforded an unstained view of the area. Those thoughts helped distract him from the fact that his pale skin was now turning a light red.

His hand rested on top of hers - he gave it a slight squeeze, as if to confirm it was actually there before lifting up the cover to the urn together. Perhaps one might have expected confetti and plastic snakes to pop out and reveal that it was another one of Morgan's jokes. But no, the only thing resting within the urn were ashes. The last physical traces of his mother's existence. She had died just a few months prior - it had taken quite some time for Morgan to get back up on his feet. He recalled her last wishes: Don't bury her, it was far too expensive. Don't keep her ashes around, she didn't want to be enshrined. Remembering was painful. Instead, she wanted her ashes to be spread somewhere beautiful - she suggested the valley, from somewhere high-up. The real reason he had bothered to leave his room and participate in this farce of a celebration.

In spite of being ashes, just a single handful felt heavy in his mind. Saying farewell was the saddest part. He wouldn't cry. Ida had shed enough tears for the both of them. Slowly, his arm moved. Perhaps, however, he wouldn't be truly alone in this world. Maybe, just maybe... he'd be able to rely on that girl. A violent crybaby who only speaks her mind if you get her mad enough. But also someone who was capable of warmth and affection. That was the evaluation that Morgan had - he'd jot those thoughts down in his notebook later. After the first toss of ashes scattered in the wind, he waited on her for the next toss.

(Re: Coin )

 

[Coin]

After Morgan had tossed the first handful of ashes out of Utsāha's cockpit, there was a pause between the two of them. He was waiting for her to do the same now. Ida thought it would feel wrong to scatter the ashes of someone she didn't know. They were the ashes of someone's mother that she had only met that afternoon, what business did she have intercepting such a private moment? Ida steeled herself and reached into the urn with Morgan's request repeating over and over again in her head.

She flinched when her fingertips hit cold, powdery ash, but found the strength to continue in Morgan's steadiness. This was his mother, was it not? Was the pain and suffering of a lost love one lost under his muted emotions? Ida grasped onto the last handful of the ashes and tossed them to the wind, carrying them to where songbirds whisper -- a final resting place. As the ashes disappeared from view, Ida put her weight onto the frame of the cockpit, sitting down to appease her exhaustion and weak knees. Her arms and torso draped over the edge as she basked in the last rays of light on the horizon.

"We're in trouble, aren't we, Morgan?" Ida sighed at last. From the tone of her voice, it didn't seem like she cared at all, and was just seeking confirmation to that which she already knew. It wasn't the kind of immature and delinquent trouble that Ana had gotten into, but the impending doom that loomed like a demon over their shoulders. They had awakened something terrible, that was for certain, and Ida had the slightest feeling that whatever beast they had slew that day was not the last.

Maybe, just maybe, Ida had found the path to her purpose. This time, her sister could watch from afar.

"Do you see me now, Ana?" Ida whispered under her breath as her eyes drifted shut.

((Re: GasMaskie ))

 

[Soviet Panda]

Connor's presence smashed into the new one, and it just gave way. He did not expect it to just let him, surprise and confusion now being added to the mix of emotions that were swirling all around. 'What?' he thought, dumbfounded. Wait, what was this? The pain was less, Mitfuhlen was not as over bearing as it had been just moments before. Oh, it was still there, clawing at the divide between him and it, but it seemed less, somehow. Wait, this new presence, it was just letting Mitfuhlen in, easy as that. So it was taking the brunt of the pain? What was it? And why had it taken so long for it to show up?

Finally, Connor's sightless gaze regained sight. He noticed two things. One was that the girl he had climbed into this thing with was lying unconscious on the floor, the other was that another dude was uncomfortably close to him and in the seat in front. Wait, he was in the seat in front of him. Did that mean that this was the other presence? No, couldn't be, impossible. Then again, he hadn't really been expecting a long abandoned machine to not only reactivate, but have a conscious itself. Well, a partial conscious, more like a beast than anything else.

"Who?" Connor grunted out through gritted teeth. Though the fight with Mitfuhlen had eased considerably, it was still going.

 

[Hextremus]

Otto's gaze was redirected from observing the fight against the beast as Kori twisted in her seat and swung her leg over her controls so she faced him, commenting on the pain the two pilots felt after the failed assault on the enemy. He nodded slowly in agreement, left eye twitching slightly as he cradled his technically injured ribs.

"I haven't felt much pain in my life. My mom says I'm overly cautious, I try not to put myself in situations that could lead to needless harm to myself. I suppose not experiencing pain is coming back to bite me in the ass."

He managed a half shrug, the burning in his torso keeping his shoulders from lifting that far. His gaze began to return to the monitors but was snapped back when Kori lifted her shirt up to inspect her ribs. His lips turned down at the corners faintly, the ghost of a frown, as he inspected her unharmed skin. There was no doubt that she was in pain just like him. Seeing her bare skin showing no damage gave him certainty that the pain they felt would from the damage sustained by Shēnqíng not be permanently translated to their bodies, a fact that left him relieved.

"It's just 'thing' right now, actually. This could just be an isolated incident, but if that isn't the case, then yes it is insane. I think that we have no choice but to risk our lives piloting; the fact that we can even pilot has taken that out of our hands. But if you choose to give up piloting, I'll give it up with you."

He looked back to the monitors after speaking. Still recovering from the pain, he watched as new Husks entered the fray to battle with their opponent. A wide variety of colours. It reminded him of pictures of old candy. Skittles? As he watched the battle, his thoughts returned to Alex. The two boys had never really interacted to any extreme extent, but they knew each other well enough for Otto to feel a wave of worry for him. Hopefully he had managed to get clear of the valley. His thoughts on Alex's fate dampened what he felt as the monster was finally slain by a new Husk, this one a purple colour. The sense of victory he could feel from the yellow Husk he piloted clashed with his own emptiness. If Alex had lost his life in the battle, their victory meant absolutely nothing.

"Looks like it's over. You alright?"

He turned away from the monitors again to look at his partner. The pain he felt had lessened considerably, now to a bearable dull throbbing. He took his hands off his controls and leaned forward slightly, blowing a breath out.

[Interaction w/ QizPizza ]

 

[dwif]

The attack of the presence alongside the constant assault of Mitfuhlen was almost unbearable for Sebastian, but he knew that he had to endure it for the both of them. As the pain reach its peak the darkness that took his vision fell away. He had been through the worst of it and he had some time to recover. The blood from his forehead showed no signs of stopping, his shirt was now almost completely red. It stuck to his body as he took short pained breaths, the pain from his ribs didn't seem as bad in comparison to what he had just been through.

A voice came from behind him. Whoever was in there with him had got control. He let out a sigh of relief and shifted his body to try and face the boy without causing any more pain to his ribs. "You alright? Seems like you had it rough in there, the last husk I was in was nothing compared to that. the name's Seb by the way." The boy's face seemed like he was still feeling some residual pain from his time linked to the machine, he didn't want to rush him into doing anything that could cause him more damage.

He looked out at the battlefield. The creature they were fighting was clearly dead. He was relieved, he was in no shape to continue fighting. He knew that he needed to get medical attention as soon as possible but wanted to take in what they had all accomplished for a little longer. He opened the comms "Don't worry guys Mitfuhlen is under control now, good job killing that thing by the way." He paused for a moment, only to continue in a more serious tone "What happens to us now? We're fucked aren't we?"

It was time to leave the husk before they got anymore crimes added to the list that they had already committed. He called over his shoulder to his co-pilot "You think you can help me lie this thing down? I'm in no state to climb all the way down."

Interactions -
Mitfuhlen - Soviet Panda
Anyone else on comms