"There were certainly enough people in the triage we saw," Zeke mutters back. He also hands Jerry back his shotgun, and squats down to peer at the young folk messing with the box. "So what do we want to do from here?"
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Zeke keeps moving with Amelia, noting the movement but wanting to investigate the sound first and foremost.
Zeke holds up one hand in a closed fist, cocking his head to the side as he listens to the sound. The hairs on the back of his neck stand up, hidden by those falling from the rest of his head, but he can feel them. "There's something moving. A bunch of somethings." He looks to Amelia, and nods at the shotgun he'd handed her. "Keep it ready. We need to check it out, and it might be trouble." Readying his own weapon, the big man moves toward the source of the noise as best he can figure it, unsure if he'd rather see Jerry and Jessica, or something he can shoot and feel like he's making a difference in this hunt.
Zeke turns toward the loudest sound, shotgun raised. Nothing about what's going on has made sense, but he knows a threatening sound when he hears one. The question is: What is it?
Zeke's phone likewise vibrates--I'll never understand people who have an actual ringtone--and he pats his pocket with one hand when he feels it go off. But it fades quickly, and he's smart enough to put two and two together. "Phones aren't working," he whispers, casting his eyes around. The wind only makes him more tense. "Something doesn't want us chatting."
"Worth a shot." Zeke doesn't add that he hadn't even thought to try using the phone down below, but he guessed it wouldn't have had a signal anyway. He quickly calls the contact in his phone listed as "J-Bear," one of a handful of contacts, most of whom are listed with nicknames that would make very little sense to anyone but Zeke.
Zeke quickly gets his legs in a wide stance and braces against the wall when the ground starts shaking, keeping an eye on their surroundings. Earthquakes aren't common here, and the folks he can see still in the room don't seem to shaken up by things--which makes him think it's something else. Something localized, and probably dangerous. Once the tremors cease, he glances at the options and shines his flashlight up the staircase. "Gotta keep going up, right?" He looks to Amelia and, as long as she doesn't object, starts climbing.
"Sounds as good as any plan to me," Zeke says with a nod. "Something strange about those pictures, too. I'm pretty sure I saw something in a bunch of 'em, or somebody. Not sure what." He frowns and jerks his head toward the door. "After you."
Zeke walks over as he sees the woman motion toward him, and he leans in to look at the phone, making sure his gun doesn't point at anyone accidentally. His eyes search over the picture, looking for whatever details might help shed some light on things.
Zeke stands by as Amelia talks to one of the apparent nurses, trying to give everything a wide berth. The whole situation stinks, and now there's the literal stench of illness added to that. He scowls and shakes his head.
Zeke starts moving up at double time after something falls from above, and the noises turn more distinctly to distressed sounds. He kicks and wrenches through the boards and clambers up, ready to grab whichever weapon will work better once he's up there.
Zeke looks around, and settles on the wooden board as their best route out of here. It doesn't seem to hard to push aside, and things should be stable and safer that way. Amelia, though, seems to have another idea. The big man turns to look at her, agape, as she begins shedding clothing to try and swim. Through the water. That they already know is probably infested with... something not nice.
"Hey, Amelia? I know this whole thing blows, and we don't know where we are, and we still don't really know what we're up against. But I want to keep a level head, okay? Think about it: there's something in the water. We don't know what it is, but we know it's not friendly, 'cause it tried to grab us. We don't know what's up there, either, but it sounds like people, and up there's Jerry and angel-girl." He nods at the boards. "So I'm thinking that's the way we should go. I'm nobody's boss, but I'd appreciate the backup?"
Zeke starts to get up, already sweeping with the flashlight. When he sees Amelia, he starts to call out, but then the second shotgun lands in his lap, and he curses and shifts it aside as he stands up. That moment also lets him realize there's noise nearby, noise that sounds an awful lot like people moving around... and given the situation so far, he'd rather not draw attention. He also sees Amelia, and sighs as he goes over to help her up. It's not directed at her--she was trying to help, he's grateful for that--and more at their current situation. "Thanks for dropping in," he says with a wink. Zeke also hands the woman his shotgun, keeping Jerry's in his hand. "You know how to use one of these? Point and pull the trigger. Make sure you've got good footing and keep it against your shoulder or you're gonna break something." That said, Zeke takes a moment to look around the room before going anywhere, trying to get his bearings...
Still backing up, Zeke relies mostly on the sound of the others' footsteps to make sure the path is clear. Occasional glances help him avoid the obstacles, and he turns fully if need be. But his focus is on the group's rear, watching for any threats coming after them. So when the ground begins shaking, the big man is caught off-guard, and he throws one hand out with a shout as he feels himself tumbling down, down... And some time later, he finds himself in a heap in a dark cavern. With a groan, he pushes to his feet, thumping the flashlight against his palm and hoping it still works. If he still has his shotgun, he shoulders that as well; if not, he draws his knife and raises it in a defensive posture.
Zeke had wanted to take the rear, walking backwards with his shotgun ready in case anything tries to jump the group. If Jerry prefers to take that spot, he'll move in the middle of the pack, no less ready for a fight. "Whichever way is fine by me, just gotta keep moving."
"Alright," Zeke says. He lets slide any lingering questions about if pulling the trigger was the right thing to do. He made his choice, he acted as he thought best. There's still a threat around, so now isn't the time for doubt or worry. That can come later, if it comes at all. So he moves with the group, knowing that right now, forward is the only way to go.
"They might've been people once. But I don't think they are anymore." Zeke eyes the figures and considers the look he had at the first one before blasting it into the water.
Zeke hesitates for only a moment after pulling the trigger. The figure was human-ish, that much was true. But there was clearly something very wrong with them, and they had presented themselves as a threat. And between that and the sudden roiling of the water, he casts aside any doubts. Hunters can't afford to doubt, or second-guess, and certainly not hesitate. Hunters hunt, and that means acting. "People talk. People don't splash out of water after dropping in behind a bunch of heavily armed folks with flaming swords. And people aren't covered in sh*t like that." He quickly racks the shotgun again and points it up toward the hole the group dropped through. "Unless you two want to say otherwise," he says, loud enough that he imagines the pair of figures would be able to hear.
When strange figures rise out of the water, people have different reactions, even among Hunters. Some of them use weird magics to try and get a better look. Some of them put on a fearsome display of angelic wrath and glory, holding their flaming sword high to look for danger. Zeke, on the other hand, simply racks the pump on his shotgun and lets loose a shell full of hot lead.
Zeke takes the rear, shotgun ready in hand, and continually looking behind the group to keep an eye out for trouble.
During Jessica's short freak-out, Zeke tries to grab her shoulders to hold her steady, but the beating wings make that a difficult prospect, and he ends up stepping back while she calms down. Once the excitement is dying down, he turns away and eyes the water, still distrustful of whatever's in there. Wish the damn thing'd just show itself already. "I dunno, Jerry. She gets the wings, you get the charming personality. Seems like a fair deal to me." Zeke glances over at Jessica, more specifically at her new tools. "Hell of a party trick, though. And it's a good thing you're on our side."
Zeke is mostly just confused by Jessica's comments; all this talk of "carrying someone with her" and "leaving someone behind" doesn't make a lot of sense, even if she's an angel or what=have-you. When she suddenly sprouts wings and moves in to grab Amelia, though, things start to add up. But then Zeke hears the wood breaking and sees Jerry not quite making the jump, he lunges back for his partner, extending both hands and trying to haul the other man onto the rocks.
Zeke curses under his breath as his legs splash into the water, and he rolls onto the rocky shore, coming up with his knife in hand. There's no immediate threat, though, so he stands, keeping the huge blade ready. He glances at Jessica and frowns. "Anyone gets lost down here, it isn't gonna be me. And if I didn't want to take risks, I picked the wrong line of work." The big man squats and runs his free hand across the drag marks, fingers tracing the route. "You want to keep moving? You've got the light."
Zeke watches as Jessica descends, keeping his shotgun ready, but not aiming until he has a clear line of fire down the hole. When the flashlight gets hit, he squats and tries to make out anything to shoot. But the shapes are indistinct and underwater, and Jerry's voice interrupts him. The man nods at his friend, trusting Jerry and Amelia to handle themselves with whatever's on its way, and swings his shotgun over his shoulder as he grabs the rope to join Jessica.
Zeke gives Jessica a long look, as though gauging the truth of what she's saying. After a while, his eyes widen slightly, and he rests the shotgun back on one shoulder and gestures towards the hole. "After you. But if it is crawling with monsters, give a holler and get out of the way, cause I'll be coming down shooting."
"There's something underground. Grabbed my ankle on the way back, tried to drag me somewhere." Zeke steps back inside and swings the pack around to his front, unzipping it to pull out the rope. "What say we go down there and return the favor?"
"Ah, son of a..." Zeke hisses and swears under his breath as he fails to break free at first. He curses again, much, much louder, when he catches a possible glimpse of what had hold of him. With a final effort, Jerry's assistance, and a good deal of backwards scrambling, Zeke breaks free, and immediately points his shotgun at the hole. "You see that, Jerry? There was something in there. Looked red, and it definitely had a hold of me." Zeke keeps his gun trained on the location while he uses one hand to roll up his pants, checking for wounds around his ankles. "We'd better get back inside and see what's down that hole."
Zeke scowls as the wind bites at him, and he makes his trip to the truck as quick as possible. Rope and a few other odd tools and bits go into a field pack, and he slings it over one shoulder. With a brief second thought, he also snags a plain black patrol cap and pulls it on his head, keeping some of his hair from being whipped around in the wind. On the way back, he waves to Jerry, letting the man know he's fine... And that's right when one leg goes under deep, pain shooting up his ankles. With a shout, the big man tumbles into the mud, sliding on one knee as he curses. His first instinct is to grab his leg with both hands just above the knee and pull as hard as he can, trying to get it free from whatever's got a hold of him. If that doesn't work, he draws his knife and starts probing, careful not to stab himself in the excitement.
Zeke frowns at the apparent drop, and raises an eyebrow as he looks at Amelia. "What, you don't see the fifty feet I'm carrying? Keep it right next to my ten foot pole." He gives an exaggerated eye roll and stands back up. "I'll go look in the truck, I think we still had some in the bed from... I forget why, but you wouldn't want to know anyway. Don't go anywhere without me."
"I was gonna just lower myself down," Zeke comments. "Assuming it's not just a straight drop... Actually, hang on." The man grabs a few chunks of the wood, and holds up a finger in a gesture of quiet. He then lies down with his head by the hole and drops the wood in, straining to hear it hit the bottom--and hoping it happens almost immediately.
GM, how big is the hole this paving stone revealed? Specifically, big enough for someone to drop down into the space beneath, or is it just a small hole we can sort of see through?
"Hey, think I've got something here," Zeke calls out. He waves for the others to join him and gestures to the propped stone. "I'm gonna check it out, but I'd appreciate someone having my back in case it's a trap. I've seen Raiders enough times not to stick my hands somewhere without backup." Once the others are with him, Zeke carefully kneels down and moves aside the paving stone if he can, hoping not to disturb too much of the surrounding flooring.
About the same time Amelia starts looking for the noise--prompting a curious shrug from Zeke--the big man starts moving down the corridor with broken boxes at the end, cracking his neck as he goes. "Well, we gotta start somewhere."
"Oh, no, there are doors back there. Just no markings or ideas of which one is the right to take." Zeke shrugs and gives an apologetic, ugly smile. "I'm not sure I like the idea of going down that thing, anyway. Last well still gives me the willies thinking about it."
"Well," Zeke says, peering down the final passage. "Good news is we can take any way we like, cause I don't see danger. Bad news is, I don't see anything else, either, so no leads." He pauses and takes a step into the corridor. "Wait, scratch that. I've got some smashed up old boxes here. Truly a sign from God." He snorts and turns back to rejoin the others."So what's the plan?"
Unless Jerry stops the group or calls attention to the well, Zeke approaches each of the passageways in turn, shining his light down the entrance to see whatever he can. Breathe easy, big guy. This is nothing you haven't done a dozen times already.
"Yeah, broadly." Zeke nods at Jessica and moves forward, shotgun easy in one hand, flashlight arcing wherever he turns. When the girl produces her flaming sword, Zeke glances sidelong at Jerry. "Friendly fire, huh?"
Zeke hops out of the truck's bed with a small backpack and his shotgun. He steps over to the edge of the mud with Jerry and Amelia, nodding with a frown. "Yep. This is gonna be a mess." With a sigh, he looks down at his beaten combat boots. "Boys, I apologize for what we're gonna go through on this one. There's a nice bath waiting for you on the other side." When Jessica comes around the truck in her new look, he gives a short, low whistle and laughs. "Alright, more old-time gear. Guess angels don't really go in for Kevlar and ARs, huh?" The man's tone is humorous, but he doesn't miss how battle-worn the armor is. Whatever doubts he had about Jessica's capabilities, they're fading fast. Turning back to the buildings, Zeke raises his flashlight and turns it on, sweeping across the darkened ruins. His eyes are open for threats, but he's really searching for the best path to take.
"I'll take back," Zeke volunteers. "Not like it's my first time. Just don't pull a stunt like you did in Omaha. Still swear I can't move that toe like I used to."
Zeke nods at Jerry's comment. "That's probably the best way. Decent boots should hold up okay, but rubbers or anything like that are crap for fighting in. We'll just have to suck it up for now." He hooks a thumb in no particular direction, not knowing where the truck is parked. "So. Jerry drives?"
Zeke snorts at Jerry's comment, and waits only a moment after Amelia gets up to go looking for... lamps, presumably of the oil variety. He shrugs his shoulders, looking at Jessica. "She's a little old-fashioned. Comes with the territory. But that's her story to tell, not mine. I've got plenty of others, you want to hear them." With that, he joins Amelia outside, quickly finding her near the artistic map. The big man shakes his head at her question and pulls out his phone. "Nah, these can be okay in a pinch, but they're not what I'd usually go for. It's unwieldy, it's not really that bright, and most importantly, it does too much else to risk dropping it in a scuffle." He slides the phone back into a pocket and twists his face into something resembling a thoughtful expression; one hand falls to his knife, fingers tapping on the scabbard. "I've still got a MagLite in Jerry's truck, I think. It's sure bright enough. NODs would be nicer, though, since they wouldn't see us coming." If Amelia looks confused, Zeke adds, "Uh, the night-vision goggles. They don't make a lot of light."
"Huh. First the only friendly bloodsucker I've ever met, and now an angel you summoned. You know some weird people, you know that, Jerry?" Zeke shakes his head, and extends a hand to Jessica with a smile that's not altogether ugly. "Friend of Jerry's is a friend of mine. And as long as you can handle yourself, I'm sure you'll get used to things." He leans back once she either accepts his handshake, or enough time passes that it gets awkward keeping it stuck out across the table. About the time Amelia poses her question, Zeke sputters his coffee and coughs. "Oh, uh, I'm Zeke. Probably should've said that earlier. But yeah, how'd this whole angel calling thing happen? Cause that's a nifty trick if you've been holding out on me, Jer-Bear." Zeke raises his eyebrows, knowing the stupid nickname will prompt a quick response.
"You would. But it's not the sort of thing regular folks have access to, usually." Zeke rubs his chin and looks at the others. He's not sure who exactly the woman with Jerry is, but he hasn't asked--if the man trusts her, she's worth trusting, at least for now. "Might not be a bad idea to find out who's got the stuff, and if we can get it ourselves."
The big man stares the barista in the face for a few seconds before rolling his eyes and taking his change back, leaving only spare coins as a tip. He mutters a few choice words under his breath and folds his arms to wait for his coffee, giving Amelia a sideways glance and a shrug. Well, I tried.
Zeke gets in line with Amelia, and orders a coffee with cream. As he hands over a few bills, he nods over his shoulder, vaguely in the direction of the outside world and the riverbed. "Noticed your water's drying up. Not much rain lately, huh? Heard anything about what they found in the river?"
Zeke glances up and down the row of shops and nods at them, turning to Amelia. "Which one you want to try first? Coffee shops are usually good for chatter, at least some types of people."
Oh, I've also been meaning to ask: the free Experience to spend. Is that a full Experience, like enough to buy something from our playbook? Or is it a 1/5 type deal?
Zeke nods and falls into step alongside Amelia, still surveying the riverbed and the path. "Yeah, asking the locals is usually a good start. Rumors and hearsay, and from there you figure out the rest. At least, that's what I usually do." Zeke shrugs and walks toward one of the shops. "What's your usual method? You've got, what, a couple hundred years' experience on me, if we get technical."
Question for you, Jessica/Androleteira: How long has she been "the way she is"? Would Zeke have potentially heard rumors about a badass avenger making rounds by this point? I'd chosen you for one of my background connections, but that could also be established in game, much as my connection with Charly was.
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