A Sinister Legacy [PART 2] [OPEN]

[astonishing_xmods]

WHO: Students and faculty of the Institute, plus some unfortunate SHIELD agents caught in the crossfire
WHAT: Sinster did something, ah... sinister... to Martha, and now the school security systems are attacking anyone and everyone that might interfere with his um... sinister... plans.
WHERE: The Institute
WHEN: STILL ON THE 25TH. TRUST US.
WARNING(S): Violence hooooo

As a reminder, there are THREE ways to be involved with this event:

1. Help the SHIELD agents on the front lawn survive against the school security systems! This will be combat heavy and will involve NPC assists from Nick Fury

2. Help protect other students, and those who can't fight, get to safe places! Not every section of the school is as automated as others and there are places that Sinister's infection of the security systems hasn't reached. This can be combat heavy or not at all, and will involve NPC assists from Storm

3. HELLIONS your girl No Girl needs help. Also the Professor and Logan. Your job is to head to the sublevels and break in to the most heavily secured area of the school and stop whatever is causing things to go haywire, and possibly stop Sinister himself from whatever he has planned. As usual, you will be assisted by Emma.

Comments

[long_live_the_queen]

Why do you care? [Kaede's reply was snappish; not really in her best interest now.

It took her a moment to realize what Krista was doing--then she grumbled something and held still. Someone was helping, dammit. Stop that.]

...I don't know. [Somewhat less snappish.]

[martyrerkomplex]

[She worked as quickly as she could to release her from the cables, pausing only once to dodge an incoming projectile. When her arms were loose, she offered her a hand up, then a shoulder to lean on.]

We need to get somewhere safer. Come with me.

[long_live_the_queen]

[There was a little sigh of relief when the tension in her arms eased; she was in a slightly better mood now that her arms didn't feel like they were trying to fuse with her torso. Kaede's shoulders tensed when she heard the whistle of something overhead (bullets? more cables?), but it didn't touch them.

The hand she did take, pulling herself up carefully. It probably wasn't very good manners to yank Krista over, though she needed more help than she liked just to stand. Her mind was too scrambled by pain to focus on more than that. One thing at a time.

Thinking linearly was so...slow.

Kaede didn't lean on Krista, though. At least not too much--Krista was so much smaller than she was, wouldn't she just squash her?

She didn't resist being led elsewhere, though she kept glancing over her shoulder, to see if any turrets were following their progress (currently none).]

Where are you leaving me?

[martyrerkomplex]

[In spite of how tiny she is, she's pretty physically insistent about carrying as much of Kaede's weight as she can reasonably manage, all but hauling her onto herself.]

There are some safe places inside that the teachers and older students have been bringing people to. We can go there, and I can make sure you're alright...

[long_live_the_queen]

[Krista's insistence did drag Kaede a bit further off the ground than she would have liked--one of her feet almost completely cleared the ground, which there was a muffled squawk and a mutter about.]

Are you trying to get crushed? I'm bigger than you. Stop that.

[She was only being a little selfish--if Krista fell over it'd take much longer for Kaede to get up again.

The building still seemed so far away, from where she was standing--hobbling, skipping a step or two from where Krista tried carrying her. The horned mutant couldn't do much more than wiggle in protest right now, though. She still couldn't focus enough for the vectors.]

[martyrerkomplex]

[Krista kept a firm, dogged hold on her, even when she let a little bit of her weight down.]

I'm not that much smaller. Please, lean on me if you have to...

[long_live_the_queen]

[Kaede grumbled again, irritation prickling the back of her neck.]

Krista-

[Her grumbles were cut short by a deep, bellowing roar that cut and crackled through her thoughts. Resonance burst out of her mind as ragged, poorly formed vectors swirled around them, digging and scraping into the ground around them as they tried to form a shield-

-there was nothing coming at them. The panicked vectors dispersed as uselessly as they appeared, though not without leaving Kaede with a splitting headache covered over with a temporary spike of adrenaline. She could worry about that later, when there wasn't a goddamn giant not too far away that definitely wasn't there before.]

What the fuck is that?!

[NO ONE TOLD HER ABOUT TITANS]

I'm so late, I'm so sorry

[martyrerkomplex]

[It seemed to Krista like, just before that roar went up, there was a flash of lightning. Was she imagining it?]

[Either way, the sound chilled her to the bone. It dropped the pit out of her stomach, and when she turned around to see what had made it, she found herself rooted to the spot, trembling, her heart pounding desperately.]

I-- I don't know.

[She honestly didn't -- but there was something about those huge, gleaming green eyes...]

[And no time to think about it.]

Come on. Come on!

No worries o/

[long_live_the_queen]

[This time, Kaede doesn't squawk or object or drag her heels at all. When Krista tugged on her arm she stumbled and staggered after her, building headache and all.

Her vectors were mostly useless now, but there was enough adrenaline to keep her knees working. So she ran, not sure if she was holding onto Krista or if Krista was pulling her along now.]

[martyrerkomplex]

[Krista runs along with her, if not dragging her then at least helping to keep her upright. She runs as hard as she's ever run in her life, hearing her pulse in her ears, feeling her lungs burn as they took in more oxygen, everything in her body going into fight-or-flight mode.]

[They make it into the building, but that isn't enough. Security is stronger near the doors and the lower levels, and she shudders at the thought of the giant -- walls wouldn't mean anything to it. They need to get further inside, further away.]

[So she keeps going, her arm still surprisingly firm around Kaede, making for the nearest place she remembers people being led to.]

[long_live_the_queen]

[This wasn't the first time Kaede had run from something bigger than herself trying to hurt her. She hoped it would be the last.

She doubted it.

Kaede wasn't in the best shape for straight-out running; she was breathing hard before they got even halfway to the building, let alone when they ran inside. Her shoulders tensed--but no alarm beeps or hissing turrets turned to face them or shoot at them. This was a safer place, then. Sort of safe.

As long as a giant foot didn't come crashing in through the ceiling tiles.

She was still leaning on Krista--moreso, now. She was stronger than she looked. The smaller girl wasn't lying there.

Her feet started to drag as they went on, despite her best efforts. Kaede wasn't good at running flat out away from things for longer distances as she used to be, just last year. She'd never needed to do that here, where it was safe to use her vectors.]

Isn't this-[wheeze]-good enough?

[martyrerkomplex]

[Hell. Well, leaving her behind was completely out of the question, but this really wasn't a safe place to stop.]

The security systems inside are going haywire, too, so we should really try and make it a little further... Can you walk?

[long_live_the_queen]

Ugh. [Of course. She coughed once, trying to get her breathing under control.]

'f course I can. Can't do anything else.

[As if reminded, the bar of pain running between her temples almost made her horns sting. Kaede rubbed at her forehead with her free hand in a vain attempt at helping.]

[martyrerkomplex]

We'll just take it one step at a time...

[And if anyone got hurt, it would be Krista. Good girl Krista, taking care of her classmates, even at the risk of her own safety.]