02 - [open]

[stoicperfection]

Heero was hunched over a table, a dissembled pistol lay in pieces on top of the table in the common area. There wasn't much light to work by, given the time of day he was working, but he knew the mechanics of a gun like the back of his hand. Fixing the jam would be no problem and it needed a good cleaning anyway.

It had been days since the last time Heero had slept. With the nightmares and things everyone were experiencing, he wasn't going to take a chance and be forced to go through the same. Nightmares drawn up from memories were the last thing he wanted to experience, especially since he was now sharing a room with two other people. For the time being he flat out refused to sleep, using every bit of his training to stay awake and finding things to do. Exploring, tinkering with a pistol, training, and other things. However, it was getting to the point that pretty soon he was going to have to nod off for a bit. He couldn't keep going at this rate.

Occasionally he stopped, lifting his head and looking around the common room for other people. After being attacked and having Duo nearly try to kill him, he was on a heightened guard. No one was awake, but that didn't mean the shadows wouldn't come back for him. Hell, maybe his attacker would like to go for a second try with him. 


((ooc: It's the middle of the night and Heero is busy maintaining a weapon. Feel free to sit with and bother him.))

Comments

[stoicperfection]

He wasn't as weak as Harth seemed to be thinking. Yes he wasn't a vampire and didn't have any of their abilities, but for what he did have it made him an incredible human. Sure he couldn't fight of Harth, which was a problem, but he could hold his own elsewhere.

Having said abilities and his mindset totally made him for go exploring further.

Heero glanced at the sky for a moment before he looked to Harth, checking to make sure that the boy was staying close to him. Not too close of course.

[herotherhalf]

Not too close, no. Harth strayed behind Heero just a few more feet now, walking after him. Once they were close to the Trolley tracks, he heard something, a whoosh of swirling black energy came from the corner by the metal fence on the side of the roof. There.

Two large ox like monsters flew out of the portal, three more small spider like things came skittering at them.

[stoicperfection]

Hearing the crackling energy, Heero turned in time to see those things coming out of the portals. Great. Just what they needed right now.

"Start heading for the stairs." He brandished the torch he was holding and reached back for the pistol.

[herotherhalf]

It was dark enough that even if he did run for anywhere, he'd be shrouded by darkness. Easy to hide. He'd just see where Heero ended up in this fight. So he started moving as ordered.

"Right!" He stammered, heading back from wence they came easily ten yards behind them.

[stoicperfection]

As Harth ran, he glanced back to make sure he got far enough away before he started moving back himself. The last time he fought shadows, he ended up outside the sarcophagi. That wasn't going to happen again.

At least not without a good fight.

As the shadows moved closer, he drew his gun and fired a few shots into them to see how effective they were. If they failed, the best he could do was use the torch and retreat.

[herotherhalf]

Maybe. Harth took refuge behind the lookout tower that stood as a centerpiece of this roof, looking over Heero who was now lit only by the torch he had. Harth smiled a bit, chanting a spell under his breath. Just as a shadow neared Heero after taking a few bullets, he said the final word, sucking the air away from the fire which put it out, leaving him blind to the dark.

Why would he need a torch if he could see just fine? Now it all depends on Heero's performance.

[stoicperfection]

Of all the things to go wrong. The torch blew out, leaving him in complete darkness with shadows coming at him. Bullets didn't seem to do much damage either. So much for that.

Taking a step back, Heero peered into the darkness and waited for his eyes to adjust. There still wasn't much he could see and those shadows blended in well. The only thing he could do was get downstairs and still back into the light.

So he turned and ran for the stairs.

[herotherhalf]

One step wasn't going to do it. There were two large shadows coming at Heero to grab for him. Worse yet? Harth positioning himself so that Heero runs right into him.

[stoicperfection]

That was exactly what happened to. Heero ran from the shadows in the direction he thought the stairs were and ran right directly into Harth.

[herotherhalf]

And toppled right on over him only to become a tangle of arms and legs as Harth ended up on top, pressing his hand into Heero's face as he tried to sit up.

"I can't see anything!" He exclaims. Oh, how clumsy of him! Hear the fear in his voice, he's not all too sure what's happening!

[stoicperfection]

Falling forward hard, Heero landed hard on the ground, somehow managing to end up under Harth. Growling in frustration and a hand to the face, he reached up to push the scared boy off of him.

"Calm down and get off!"

[herotherhalf]

He shook, his skin cold as he struggled to get up and falling all over himself. Finally, when a large one was right over them both about to grab him? He got off and scrambled out of the way.

The shadow over them threw his clawed arms down on Heero, trying to smother him.

[stoicperfection]

As soon as Harth was off him, he was left to fight off the shadow trying to smother him. He groped blindly for the unlit torch beside him, managing to grab it and swung at the shadow.

[herotherhalf]

Harth moved off, moving to avoid the second one and watching Heero as he fought against the shadow. He'd let him handle it, or not. Preferably not.

The shadow grabbed at Heero in an effort to pick him up and drew him into the air.

[stoicperfection]

When the shadow had him in the air, Heero fought harder with the torch. Did anything work against these things? Unfortunately he hadn't gotten a metal weapon yet, so he was just stuck with a torch and a seemingly useless gun.

Said usless gun was whipped out again and fired point blank into the shadow creature.

[herotherhalf]

Harth watched, eyes widening for a moment as the shadow beast reached for it's face, grasping it as it dropped Heero. He sneered at that, heading back down towards the stairs. Leave Heero to his own devices.

[stoicperfection]

Heero hadn't expected that to work, but now he had a way of getting those things off of him. Landing on the ground with a grunt, he looked up to see the shadow grapsing it's face like there was something to injure.

As quick as he could, he picked himself off the ground and headed for the stairs again.

[herotherhalf]

The shadows would give chase after him, but once he made it to the long room, they slowed, crowding at the door before dispersing again. A narrow escape, Heero, but it won't last long.

Harth was down by the second set of stairs, watching Heero as he entered. He flopped down and held his head, breathing hoarsely like he was hyperventilating.

He had asthma when he was young, he could fake it. It would only reinforce the sense of helplessness, he imagined.

[stoicperfection]

Looking back up at the doorway, he watched as the shadows dispersed. Couldn't bother chasing him anymore, could they? He made his way down the rest of the stairs and noticed Harth crouched down by the second set, looking pretty bad.

Heero knelt down beside Harth, watching Harth as the boy appeared to be struggling to breathe. Hyperventilation? For someone who appeared as weak as Harth, probably. He put a hand on his back, making a small, gentle rubbing motion.

"They're gone. Relax."

[herotherhalf]

He shook and trembled, struggling to take in a breath, but after several minutes he started coming down. Though he knew Heero would beable to detect his failure to have a heartbeat. He'd long since come up with a suitable explanation for that, even before he came here should he have to interact with any humans.

"Aah. Ah. S-Sorry." He gasped. No inhaler, no nothing. He gasped in another breath.

[stoicperfection]

It was fairly obvious too. With all that running and the hyperventilation, Harth's heart should have been racing. When Heero placed his hand on the boy's back, he felt nothing.

Pulling his hand away, he stood up and took a step back. That wasn't right. Harth looked clearly humanoid, so he should of had something like a heart. Everyone besides the vocaloids (that he knew of) had hearts. Why didn't Harth?

"You don't have a heart beat."

[herotherhalf]

"N-noticed." He said curtly, taking in another breath, filling his dead lungs with air and exhaling. He'd taken to a habit of breathing regardless of whether he needed to since he'd arrived here. Made him look normal.

"It's droid. Robotic. Doesn't beat, just works." He said, shaking his head and standing up with a wobble.

"Been messed since I was a kid." He whips a hand on his face, still breathing shakily, even falling back down to the steps.

"This..." he paused. "This place. I can't be here."

[stoicperfection]

That certainly explained it, even if it was a little hard to believe. Droid hearts didn't exist in his world, but his mentor had been nearly mechanical, so it wasn't too far of a stretch. He'd just have to accept it for now. Besides, Harth was pretty convincing at being frail.

"No, you shouldn't."

Without saying anything else, he slipped an arm under Harth's and helped him to his feet. "I'll help you back to your room."

[herotherhalf]

He stood up with Heero's help, turning his eyes to Heero and then arching his head back to look at where they'd come from.

"Don't know if they'll let us go that easy. Think it takes effort to make those portals?" Effort and energy. Didn't seem like they'd put it to waste.

[stoicperfection]

"We're not going to find out." It was fortunate that they hadn't continued on downstairs. Heero considered himself lucky for getting away from them. He wasn't going to push it.

Helping hold up Harth's weight, he started them back towards the common room before they could head to the rest of the rooms.