❧ Still Holding Out For A Hero

[luministimods]

[While people are battling with their new powers and those townspeople who've decided to go on crime sprees, there are two people watching everything play out from a safe place. One...has no choice. The other?

The other relishes and delights in what he sees.

A pleased smile naturally graces the other's features.] You have no idea how long I have waited for this moment. Finally, finally after observing them for so long and poking them in the right directions, they are perfect. There have been some who just couldn't quite make it, ones I had hopes for but ultimately have given up upon. I will not be recalling them ever again.

And I have you to thank for that, my dear Marshal. If it were not for your continual interference these past years, they all might have still been stuck in that fool's experiment to bring his loved ones back to life. The otherworlders learning of that experiment's truth only fueled the flames of my own. The young businessman's ideas of entertainment were far more useful than the drivel the scientist ever gave me.

Speaking of him, you were never able to locate him, were you? Your teams of otherworlders failed in their tasks and returned empty-handed. They were meant to, you know, and yet you were so certain you could use their skills and fame to help them in their hunt for him while you searched for me.

[Slowly] ...What did you do to Filippo Resarci?

He was hiding away but now...he is right where I need him to be. [The other's smile widens after a moment.] Ahhh, I see. You think he's my anchor here.

It's a possibility.

You think...if you got to my anchor, then you could have reeled me in? Shame the fish reeled in the fisherman and now, you have left your worms completely unattended. I do wonder who yours is.

[Lets out a dismissive noise.] Like I'm going to tell you.

It does not matter. They will blame you in the end. Once they have figured it all out, they will hold you accountable. Might take them a while to piece everything together, though. I even tried to share with them the truth, warn them of what was to come--and yet they thought I was merely taunting them. They did not understand--

--Weren't you?

[The other shrugs nonchalantly.] Eh, yes, but one can mock with the truth. It is one hell of a weapon, as you have seen.

[Somewhat victoriously] Yes, it is...isn't it? [There's a soft click from somewhere nearby.]

[The other's expression rapidly changes from smugness to suspicion because of that tone.] What have you done?

You'll see soon enough.

[And then the one seemingly without a choice uses his one trump card to escape--but the other doesn't yell or pitch a fit at this disappearing act. No, the other merely pulls out something, enters a sentence followed by a few keystrokes, then slips it back into his pocket.]

Two can play at this game.

[Seconds before the other's keystrokes were entered, Nathan suddenly appears somewhere in the vicinity of the town hall, but before he can even take a step forward or pull out his own CAT to call people to him, the town hall explodes, showering him and most of the town square in huge chunks and layers of debris. Rubble and shrapnel fly into air, crashing through store fronts, trees, the library, and crushing nearby townspeople. Not even the fountain is spared and the Sheriff's office has taken severe damage.

But what caused the explosion to begin with? Whatever it is, it's gone now, most likely lost in the blast.]


Plot Supplement Details: Still Holding Out For A Hero **Quick-time Event**

This one will be super easy and short. All you have to do is locate and find Nathan beneath all of that stuff (here's a handy map of the area)! And this is a quick-time that will last from now until Monday night.

How you go about rescuing him is up to you. All rescuing action will happen in this entry, but I wouldn't recommend going in groups any bigger than two, but you also have the option of going solo and I'll reply with the mod account. I'll do the same for those who do team up, so be sure to track your threads! When he is found, I'll comment to all threads with that fact and with where he was found. (There is a location in the effected area where he is, but I'm looking for a somewhat general spot. We'd be here forever if I was to be pedantic.)

Of course...you don't have to rescue him at all. Characters might not even know if he is there if they weren't in the area to see him for that moment before the town all blew up. Plus, there are townspeople to save and, well...the Sheriff's Office was damaged. All the criminals incarcerated there are all kinda free now and could hamper your search efforts.

So! Depending on what you'd like to do, go to the following comment:


• Rescue Nathan - "Here to rescue Nathan!"
  
• Rescue townspeople - "Townspeople rescue"
  
• Dealing with the criminals - "Jailbreak containment"
  
• OOC questions - er, "OOC questions"


This commenting system is a bit new, but hopefully, that'll make it easier for everyone to just tag in.

So....yes! Oh yeah... that conversation above... Characters won't have heard that. Yet. Yet...

Have fun! Hope you've brought your shovels~ (Which by the way can be found ICly in the non-destroyed general store!)

And if you missed the recent OOC post (and if you did, shame on you! no, not really), please read it! There's an important note relevant to those characters who lost their powers at the start of this plot.

EDIT: Made changes to the above regarding tagging into the entry as well as a note about shovels! o/

Comments

Teaming up with Fuu!

[fortune_sought]

[Sophie comes running onto the scene. she's sure she saw Nathan before that explosion went off, and she refuses to lose their only lead to what's happening--not to mention quite possibly their only ticket home]

Nathan! [she cups her hands around her mouth] Nathan, call out if you're here! [she turns back to Fuu, expression determined] He must be somewhere around here. I'll start at the library. [and she moves to do just that, grabbing at large pieces of rubble with her hands. she's going to need a shovel if she's to do much of this, but she's hoping she'll be able to hear him so she knows where to dig first]

\o/ Let's find this guy

[wind_of_reason]

[Fuu had come running at the explosion that'd happened so close, and at once starts following Sophie's lead. She'd not seen Nathan for herself, but if he'd been in there, they had to help quickly!
With a wince for how much rubble there was (and regretting that her faintly returning magic would do little good to move it), she plunges in to help Sophie move the larger pieces.]

Nathan! Nathan! [When she pauses in her calls she listens closely for anything- any shift of rubble or voice in return.]

[luministimods]

[Alas, there is no reply. They are either too far away or he's buried beneath too much for their voices to reach him.]

[fortune_sought]

[Sophie shifts another large piece of rubble, but it seems all they're uncovering is a deeper, smaller mound of the stuff Oh, we'll never get anywhere like this! [an idea striking her, she straightens] Keep looking! I'll get...something to help us dig...

[and Sophie takes off running for the shops]

[wind_of_reason]

Okay!

[And while Sophie runs off on her very practical errand, Fuu carefully works her way north along the library. She continues calling and pausing, hoping that Nathan will at least be in a position to answer. If they have no clue of where to dig, she worries it could be a very long time before they find him.]

[fortune_sought]

[when Sophie is on a mission, she's very fast, so it doesn't take her long to return, awkwardly attempting to run while clutching two shovels] Here, Fuu! This should help us get deeper, at least. [she adjusts her grip, holding out one shovel for Fuu to take, while giving a concerned look to the vast piles of rubble before them. starting on this edge had seemed like a good idea at first, but Sophie, while practical, has never been particularly good at methodical, and the sheer sight of the damage's spread is almost overwhelming]

[luministimods]

[As they dig, they might hear a faint cry help in their new location, but the voice is that of a woman's. In fact, Fuu may recognize it as belonging to one of the library's workers.]

Help! Please...someone help me!

[wind_of_reason]

[It takes her a moment to realize it, but she does come to recognize that voice. She at once moves closer to it, then gives Sophie an apologetic look.]

I- I'm sorry, but I can't leave her- [But she hesitates, freezing in place as a realization hits. Is the woman she knows from the library even... real? The way the townspeople behave, the way they had turned from zombies to normal, the fake panels in the Lab...

The cries for help are so real!

And so had been the pain when Fuu's illusion-self had shot her with arrows in the Spring of Eterna.

The look on her face is now deeply pained as she looks at Sophie with tears in her eyes. She can barely bring herself to ask in a faint voice,]

Is this another test?

[fortune_sought]

[Sophie is brought up short by the cry for help as well. she turns to Fuu, staring back at her as Sophie inwardly works through thoughts while Fuu works through them outwardly. she swallows hard] It probably is. The townspeople are golems, but... [she shakes her head. she can't stand the thought of leaving a person crying for help either. even if the scarecrow was a golem, didn't it still feel?]

Fuu, you help her. I'll keep searching. Call me if you need my help as well.

[it's the best answer she can think of. with a deep breath, she turns and moves away from the library and closer to the town hall, onto the path leading to the Mayor's House]

[luministimods]

[The library worker can sort of hear the voices and calls to them again, her voice a little louder now.] Can someone hear me? Miss Fuu, is that you?

[As Sophie proceeds on the path, the amount of rubble varies from huge chunks to small shards of glass from the broken windows. Thankfully, the dust is starting to settle. If she's looking, she might catch a glowing light peeking out from under a small pile of broken bricks and filing cabinets.]

[wind_of_reason]

[Her expression relaxing at Sophie's answer, Fuu nods and makes her way over to the woman.]

Yes, I'm here. Please hold on a bit longer!

[She carefully shovels around where she can hear the voice, hoping to not hit her with the shovel or more rubble as she shifts it.
Once she gets the woman out she'll try to use her winds of healing magic- it probably won't do much, but even a little relief until more help comes should be enough.]

[fortune_sought]

[Sophie does notice that light, and she makes a beeline for the spot] Hello? Is someone there?

[she leans down, groaning with the effort as she shifts one of the angled filing cabinets just enough that she can start to carefully use the shovel to clear the bricks beneath it] Can you hear me?

[luministimods]

[The woman isn't buried too far under, thankfully! She's got some scraps and a broken arm from holding it up to protect her head, as well as some bruising, but she's alive. And coughing a bit because of dust being released into the air, but alive.]

You dear thing! It really was you who did this. Thank you so much.

[Meanwhile in Sophie's area of things, she does get a reply--but it's a different voice. It's not like one any of them have heard before. There's a roughness to the otherwise sophisticated intonation of words. The voice is definitely male:]

"--hey will blame you in the end. Once they have figured it all out, they will hold you accountable. Might take them a while to piece everything together, though. I even tried to share with them the truth, warn them of what was to come..."

[The recorded voice continues while Sophie moves things, but all she'll find is a CAT device.]

[wind_of_reason]

You're welcome. It's... the least I can do.

[It really is.
Relieved that she'll be okay, Fuu helps her co-worker out of the rubble to await doctors from the clinic.

By the time she's done and come back over to Sophie, it looks like she's found something. But Fuu's surprised that it doesn't seem to be a person she's digging up.]

What have you found?

[fortune_sought]

[Sophie is digging rather desperately for the source of that recording--while trying to listen to it at the same time] Speak up, will you? I can barely make you out!

[she isn't sure if the spell will work, but it's worth a try. regardless, very shortly afterwards, she comes up with a CAT--at which point Fuu comes over to her. Sophie holds out the still-playing CAT] Shh! There's a message on this.

[luministimods]

[Surprisingly, the spell does work--but it's not the CAT's doing. The surrounding area quiets down for her to hear better. The CAT itself is quite stubborn. One can never tell a CAT what to do.]

[Now that Sophie has the CAT, she can see a bit of video attached to it (hence the glowing from earlier.) For the most part, it's pretty dark since the device was mostly obscured from where it sat while recording, but there's a small opening where a figure can be seen moving about. The room beyond is simple, but there's still a sense of otherworldliness to it.]

--and yet they thought I was merely taunting them. They did not understand--

--Weren't you?

[In the video, the figure stops and shrugs nonchalantly, his face annoyingly still obscured by the hat pulled low upon his head. If the sight of that man is at all familiar in a deja-vu kind of sense, that may be because...it is. Yet he is unaware that this is happening.]

Eh, yes, but one can mock with the truth. It is one hell of a weapon, as you have seen.

Yes, it is...isn't it?

[Unfortunately, there recording ends there, but Sophie and Fuu should be able to recognize one of the voices as belonging to Nathan.]

[wind_of_reason]

[And Fuu is obediantly quiet for the video, her mouth slowly dropping further and further open- until the screen goes black.]

Ah! Ahhh! Miss Sophie, it's got to be the man in black! Can you play it again?

[So Nathan found the man in black? But- oh- wait-]

Actually, we should find Nathan!


[[ooc, unless they look over and see that Terezi's found him XD]]

[luministimods]

[When they look over, they'll see Nathan getting up out of a pile of rubble and speak to Terezi briefly before walking to the general store.

And now that Sophie and Fuu have seen the video of that man, they will remember a little bit more about the times they were taken.

Since they've been taken multiple times, they'll have memories of each time. They'll remember seeing that man just seconds before they're taken, plus a flash of light--coming from a device in his hands. No matter how random or crazy the things are around them, he's always been there.]