|
Trystt points out the cameras overhead before anyone walks too far in. "I'll block their sight temporarily. Just step to the side, don't walk directly under them." She concentrates for a moment, and some of the heat of the room is sucked out despite the warm summer night. A cool mist emanates outward, obscuring vision. Then she summons her crackling protective aura after directing people down the stairs. Finally, she makes her own way down, using what shadows and corners there are to scout.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Napalm nods and gives a small smile as Trystt blocks the cameras. He enjoyed when they could use their brains to solve problems and not firepower. "Ok, let's look for this secret entrance. I imagine it will be farther down, near the tracks. Too many people are around this area for it not to have been noticed already."
The scientist touches a button on his kevlar vest and you see it expand slightly. He touches it gently at first and then hit it harder. He nods, satisfied. "Something new I'm trying. High impact foam, injected into cells underneath the kevlar. Fluid enough to allow movement, but becomes rigid with a sharp impact." He follows Trystt down to the far end of the corridor.
The mist billows up around Trystt, covering the sight lines of the cameras. Taking advantage of this, she moves forward cautiously.
A subway station after hours is an eerie place and she finds herself looking at the corners suspiciously as if something might jump out. But of course the station is quiet.
A corridor runs east to west, channelling passengers to the right platforms down below. A door sits in the west wall while the corridor runs further east and then turns.
"Seems like you all got upgrades." Looking at Napalm and then at Midnights new armor, then down to his sweatpants and shirt.
Ebon looks on and smiles as Trystt fills the stairs with mist covering them. Moving first down the stairs and onto the platform.
"Head for the door?" He says taking a step out making sure he's clear of any cameras.
Spore snakes a vine back from the direction of the closer camera overhead, where he'd been planning to rip it down, and wondered if anyone had seen. Trystt's idea was better, he thought. The less trail they left behind, the better. Following in her footsteps, he prepares for the delve, hardening much of his own skin into wood, and growing a shield on one arm before heading down the stairs.
As Ebon reflects on the team's hardware upgrades, Spore thinks back some of the television he'd watched while Trystt had slept off her injuries over the last week:
"It's what's inside that counts, Ebon" the giant plant monster rumbles to Akio with a big, sincere grin.
|
|
Trystt ignores the door for now, believing they are looking for a tunnel connected to the railway tunnels. "I'm going this way," she says, unsure as to why she is whispering. Seeing another camera, she re-uses her mist trick. "Turn right here, just hug the wall."
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Sterne can feel the drop in temperature instantly and as the strange girl who calls herself Trysst conjours a mist around them he follows her lead and tries to avoid the cameras as best he can.
that is a very useful ability, it pays to be cautious he says quietly, mimicking her whisper as they move into the station
Napalm follows Trystt, hugging the wall like she said. He scans the area looking for any service hatches or maintenance doors.
Trystt continues on, peeking around the corner and seeing exactly what she expected - further corridors running deeper underground. An escalator - now switched off - runs deeper toward the platforms and tracks.
Trystt continues on but before she gets much further the misty tendrils of her spells drift slowly through the corridor, filling an enormous area.
They slowly rise on the hot air pushed from the tunnels below and pushes the mist upward toward the ceiling. Toward the embedded sprinklers.
In an instant the subway station is filled with a blaring, high-pitched alarm and a moment later the sprinkler systems trigger blasting water in a wide fan that drenches the heroes in scant seconds.
Spore, still on Trytt's heels, looks up at the sprinkler system, and as happy as he is about the refreshing drink, gets serious. He'd largely avoided getting in trouble with law enforcement officials on Earth, and running away to hide when alarms sounded had contributed to that effort greatly.
"Let's go!" he rumbles. "Left?" he yells to Trystt, eager to avoid the camera at the end of the hallway, and happy to take the closer stairs down.
Sterne jumps and curses loudly as the blaring fire alarm system suddenly activates.
we don’t have long! The authorities will be here in minutes he says as he is drenched with water
come on, we need to hurry he says following spore deeper into the subway.
Ebon flinches slightly as the sprinkler system pops, unsure of what it was for a second as the water hits down hard from above.
"We move now, no time to sneak. Cover up and let's get down there." He says sprints past covering up his face and running down the escalator.
The group charge down the stairs, the alarm ringing in their ears. Before long the escalator ends at a short corridor that turns sharply and then opens out onto the platform itself.
The electronic boards denoting the next train are currently switched off and the platform is devoid of any people. The only noise is the echoing blast of the alarm.
Napalm pulls up his hood and races after the others. "We can't just run around! We need to find this entrance!"
the entrance is going to be along the track somewhere I would have thought, we’ll need to follow the line and see if we can find anything Sterne says as they move deeper into the subway
Gesturing westward along the tunnel Sterne suggests they head in that direction.
the location of any old tunnels is likely to be westward along the line, at least that’s what our research indicates. Let’s try this way , be careful of the third rail.
There’s enough electricity in these lines to kill you he says and then he pauses
well it would kill a normal person , just be careful he says as he jumps down from the platform.
The group head into the stifling darkness of the subway tunnel.
The air is hot and still, almost like it has been breathed in a hundred times and breathed out again and left to fester in these old tunnels. Occasionally you hear the scuttling of rats in the darkness and for those who can see, you notice the large numbers that thrive down here beneath the city.
The noise of the alarm echoes for a long time but eventually fades until the only noise is that persistent ringing that happens when things are truly still.
The tunnel is almost completely featureless. It is narrow, allowing possibly only 8 inches or so of clearance on either side of a subway train which means that most of you have to watch your footing as you walk directly over the tracks.
Spore unleashes some small, floating, luminescent somethings, which dimly light the tunnel, and seem to follow him around. From somewhere, he pulls a odd looking puffball, ready to throw just in case.
"Ready when you are..."
Napalm walks back from his position in the front of the group. Whatever the goblin formula had done to his body had helped his eyes adjust to pitch blackness. "It keeps going. There's got to be an access hatch somewhere."
The group press on into the darkness, now illuminated for those who need it by a series of small, drifting lights that spark occasionally above Trystt's head.
Eventually, the alarm silences, though it's nose was dim at this point anyway. The relief you feel at that is quickly replaced though.
At first you don't hear it, but feel it. There is a woosh! of warm air at your back that ruffles Trystt and Midnight's hair and the slightest vibration among the stones that sit between the tracks you walk upon.
Then the noise comes. It's like distant thunder that approaches at a breakneck pace, the light level in the tunnel begins to rise as the train rounds a corner and barrels toward you!
There is a maintenance door some 100 feet away. It has a warning sign daubed on it but you cannot read it and it secured with a heavy chain.
Spore sees the door just before Trystt shouts to the group about it, and mentally commands his light-spores to move there, illuminating the path along the way as he starts to run.
Ebon begins to sprint down the track, heading to the point Trystt pointed out.
"Come on, Doc! I doubt you can fool a train!" Napalm grabs Sterne's hand and pulls him along as he races after the others.
get that door open quick! Sterne shouts as Napalm grabs him and they sprint after the others. Though outwardly he looks to be in his seventies underneath he was still himself he had played his fair share of football in college and had kept himself in shape.
The subway train thunders on, impossibly fast, impossibly massive. It's light is blinding and fills the whole tunnel.
Reaching the door, the group realises it has but seconds before the train smashes into them.
He can feel the train approaching, the vibrations from the track traveling up through the soles of his shoes and he knows they have been increadibly stupid.
He can feel his heart hammering in his chest as he races toward the door and at the sight of the padlock he can almost taste the fear that radiates from the group as they realise the trouble they are in.
Reaching out with his mind he focuses his abilities and radiates a field of calm focus that washes over the group.
get the lock open, the train is almost on us! Sterne says as he looks along the track
Spore shifts his stance, shifting his weight around in an odd way, before striking out at the chain with a clubbing one-handed blow. The vines comprising that arm hold fast in the chain, pulling hard as he attempts to rip it from the wall.
Ebon fists begin to glow as he runs up to the chain Spore is attempting to break and tries his best to help.
Spore and Ebon rain down bludgeoning blows on the chain. It bends and buckles but remains solidly in place.
"Will you stop it?! Trystt! Open it up, hurry!" The scientist pulls out a vial of acid just in case. He grabs the lock to hold it for the small woman.
The noise is utterly deafening now. The entire world is filled with the thundering, screeching roar of steel wheels on steel tracks as 40 tons of steel and glass is almost upon the group.
Seconds now, that's all that's left, between them and oblivion!
The lock clicks free and the chain begins to rattle as it runs through the loop, freeing the door beyond.
Ebon rips open the door and then Spore and Midnight bundle everyone through, barrelling them all into the tunnel beyond a mere second before the train thunders past.
Spore feels several branches and roots snap off as the train brushes past him within millimetres and annihilates the door that opened outward onto the track
Landing in a heap and breathing heavily, the group wait for the terrible ringing in their ears to stop.