Xbalanque - Attack
Aug. 22nd, 2008 08:54 pm![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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xp_logsBack at the Mission, the creature from last night returns. And not everyone is going to survive the night.
Monet had opted for a walk outside despite the weather. It was warm and damp out but there were far fewer minds in range here than in the compound and Jane's wasn't nearly as annoying as most of the ones back inside. "I still can't get over how green it is here," she said. "It's gorgeous, isn't it?" The jungle was, considering her invulnerability.
"It is." Jane couldn't get over how big and green everything was, although it seemed like everytime she turned around someone was warning her not to touch this or that, and to definitely, whatever she did, not to pet that. It almost added to the allure. "Have you gotten to explore at all?"
"A bit. Not that much, though - it's always raining whenever our benevolent overlords let us out to play." Monet tugged a hand through hair gone even more out of control than usual and grinned. "If the accommodation was less shit, this'd be pretty damn awesome. The sort of place I'd stay at on an adventure camping trip. It beats the hell out of Mailuu-Suu, eh?" There were pigs and sheep in small enclosures bordered by garden beds and jungle alongside the road, doing pig and sheepy things. It was all very picturesque, what with the birds and the red over there ... "Janey, hon? What's that?" Monet's mind was refusing to acknowledge what she saw.
Jane followed Monet's gaze and froze. "I," Jane paused trying to reconcile the scene with those surrounding it. The sheep in nearby pens started to bleat loudly in alarm. "I think they were goats?" 'Were' being the operative word. The pen was strewn with bloody carcasses, freshly savaged. The ground slowly soaking in the pools of blood that had formed around them. "What happened?"
They really were goats, weren't they? "I think something tried to eat them and got bored?" The theme from Jaws was running though her head. "What kind of crazy person does this to goats? They're evil but not that evil, y'know?"
"...goats are evil?" Jane shook her head and turned away from the gruesome sight, grateful to have something to latch her gibbering brain onto. "I didn't know that."
"Oh god, yeah. Look into their eyes sometime. But uh... not now." Monet frowned, thinking. "Let's get back, okay? This is kind've seriously disgusting."
***
Within literally seconds of Jane and Monet's arrival, the noise started again at the door. Louder, angrier, more instant. Whatever had killed Dr. Mendez the night before was back.
Rising panic led to a cacophony of voices that echoed around inside Terry's head. Children screamed incomprehensibly and Terry really wished she'd spent more time learning languages that weren't spoken in Western Europe. The creature outside was about three seconds from knocking down the hastily re-hung door and no one here looked the slightest bit like they had a clue what to do next. Well, that wasn't going to stand then, was it? The short redhead half turned and reached out, grabbing the shirtsleeve of the Elpis worker nearest her.
Of course it was Kevin, Terry reflected as she looked up at her best friend's boyfriend. That's just how the Fates liked to play. "We've got to get these people out of here. That's not going to hold the bloody thing for long."
Kevin had a child clinging to him on one side and then suddenly had someone grabbing him from the other. How he had become the same thing to cling to he wasn't sure. Apparently silent equated to safe? When he turned to see who the new person was he groaned on the inside. Terry, great. "Yeah, but where are we herdin' 'em to? You find a path and Ah can round 'em up probably." Right now would be a great time to have a lasso. And the ability to use it.
The weight of the creature collided with the door again and Kevin could hear the wood whine and creak. "We need a way out and Ah can't give us one." Any other time and he could have eaten away some of the wall so they could smash through it. He was just as useless as any other person right now, minus the outward panicking. Kevin liked his panicking on the inside.
"Sure you didn't do much exploring, did you then? We'll go out through the kitchen. It'll be a bit of a struggle but between the two of us we can get them all over the wall," Terry sounded exactly the opposite of panicked, having no time for it right now. She didn't even think about it and it would be hours before she had time anyway. "Children first, poor things." She cast a sympathetic glance at the kid clinging to Kevin's arm. "Let's go."
"Nope, Ah didn't." Was he supposed to do exploring? He was trying to downsize his incidents of stupid gringo, it was kind of a full-time job and didn't lend itself from exploring so much as veering away from. Kevin picked up the kid hanging on his arm, figuring it'd just be quicker to carry her. "Alright, you lead, Ah'll get 'em to follow you and we'll figure out the best way to get 'em over the wall, okay?" He nodded to her and went off, little girl still in his arms, to usher all the kids into something of a group so he could get them to all follow Terry out. The screaming every time something hit against the door wasn't helping to calm them and his ear was left ringing after the girl he was carrying screeched.
Terry started to hum as she went round the room, a soft, soothing melody that ensured its listeners that they could trust her. She didn't know if it would work--every other time she'd done this, she'd just been backing up a verbal suggestion--but it was the only way she had right now to get cooperation. From the wide, white-eyed stares of the families in huddling against the wall, it was having a hard time penetrating the fear. "Come on, we're getting out of here. It'll be okay."
Ignore the banging. Ignore the screams. Ignore everything but the task at hand because that's the most important thing right now. Don't fail those in your care again, Terry. You've got one chance at this.
Kevin had a crowd of kids of varying ages who had more or less made a train. One was hanging onto his belt and the others sort of branched off some that one but they were all staying close. He had that good guy look about him and kids generally seemed to like that he was as soft spoken as he was. A few were more jumpy, not wanting to listen to him or anyone else and instead just panic but they'd been dragged into the group as well. It had taken a few minutes but he had all the kids and went back to Terry as if reporting for duty. "Alright, ma'am, lead on." He nodded to her, knowing that the adults would either follow the kids or would handle themselves. A hand slipped into his free hand and he wondered how long this daddy effect was going to last.
Various kids in the group were still screaming at every noise, even the ones caused by other people around them. Others were crying, some verging on hysterical. Kevin worried if they didn't move quick enough that some might have to be picked up or dragged along so they didn't just huddle down on the ground and hope the thing outside went away.
Terry looked steadily at Kevin for a moment, then at the children and her own gathered bunch. Casting her mind back to the first day they'd arrived--it seemed like forever ago--she changed her tune, literally, and began to sing the song they'd been playing on the street. Confidence, fearlessness, hope infused her voice and she offered a hand to a couple of children who clung to her much the same way that Kevin's were.
"This way, then. We've got to move at a fair pace," she chirped brightly, like this was all an adventure. Like a Pied Piper, the Irish girl and the Southern boy led the children out of the main room, toward the kitchen, and they hoped, safety.
***
"~Wait, shit, where is La Llorona?~" Armando snapped, stopping their group at the door and quickly doing another headcount. After Kevin and Terry had taken the first batch, the rest of the adults had rounded up the children. The second group had left with the creature still pounding away at the door. Then, strangely, it had stopped as suddenly as it had started. But they weren't taking chances. Better to go where there were no walls to break down. Unfortunately, one seemed to be missing.
"~I think I saw her near the door,~" Julio said, handing the child he was carrying off to one of the older girls. "~I'll go get her,~" he turned to run after her.
"~Hold on, stupid! Take a weapon!~" Jaime tried to pass off his rifle but Julio waved it away, holding out his hands.
"~I already am one. Go! I'll grab her and I'll be right behind!~" Jaime and the other man nodded.
"~Follow Armando!~" Jaime said to his wide-eyed charges soothingly, pushing the children out after the older man. "~I'll be right behind, kiddos...~"
Julio ducked quickly back through the hallway, almost skidding on the tile before spotting the blanketed figure of Doña Teresa in plaza outside the orphanage, heading towards the animal pens. Julio cursed and looked behind him, before jumping over what remained of the door and running and jumping off the orphanage's top steps. "~It'll be fine, just paperwork, no problem,~" he muttered under his breath. "~Weird comas, dinosaurs, and now chasing after crazy women while being stalked by monsters, I swear to God, I am never freaking leaving the mansion grounds again.~"
Overhead the sky rumbled menacingly. The cloud-cover was thick, with the sky appearing pink, and the air held a charge. Almost as if the sky was holding it's breath and waiting for something before it burst. He pounded across the plaza, towards the animal pens, skidding to a halt when he figured out he was hearing frightened shrieks coming from the same direction. Rolling his eyes heavenward, Julio cursed under his breath and plunged forward, reflexively grasping at his connection to a small faultline some 40 miles away, at the very least he could throw enough energy at whatever it was so it would go far, far away.
Julio spotted the woman crouched down near the toolshed, blanket grasped to her shoulders and rocking herself. Still speaking in that high, strange language. Shaking his head, he made to get closer but froze when he heard a deep growl from behind him. The bottom dropped out of his stomach, and he slowly turned around. What he saw made his eyes widen.
"Mierda."
It was crouched at the other end of the garden, the wooden gate torn away like so much matchsticks. It was big, bigger than any big cat Julio had ever seen. It watched him with large yellow eyes, pink tongue lolling as it panted, tense as a coiled spring. It's fur was spotted like a jaguar's, and matted with blood and leftover gore. Julio swallowed audibly. A few loaded seconds passed, with Julio carefully edging towards Dona Teresa. The growls grew louder, and Julio froze. Doña Teresa's muttering became much louder. The cat's head snapped towards her, and she stood, pointing at it. Her cracked and ruined voice getting as close to yelling as it could.
"Oye, callate!" Julio snapped, eyeing the creature. It was even tenser, if that was possible, with lips that were pulled back into a snarl. "~Shut up please, you stupid woman!~" His clenched fists began to ripple slightly, as he drew the power shifting beneath their feet towards him.
Doña Teresa held her head up and then spat on the ground. In the space of a heartbeat, the creature lunged. Doña Teresa shrieked and shielded her face. The creature's infuriated growl turned into an almost human-sounding yelp as Julio raised his hands and slammed it with the power he pulled up from the faultline, sending it sailing over the mudbrick wall. It landed with a resounding thud.
Doña Teresa stood in the middle of the path, frozen in shock. She looked at Julio, eyes almost comedically wide. Julio shook his head and decided he didn't have time for any more bullshit. In one fluid motion, he scooped up the tiny woman and threw her over his shoulder in a fireman's carry. He was sure that whenever the creature got up from wherever he'd knocked it, it was going to be pissed.
***
The small cave they used for storage had several tactical advantages the orphanage did not, one of them being there was only one small, easily defensible entrance. Everyone was now accounted for. All they had to do now was wait.
And of course, the sky chose that exact moment to split open.
Terry pulled herself away from the group of children she'd been calming with a song, most now with heavy eyes and sleep stealing in, leaning together in little puppy piles, taking comfort from the closeness. Terry wished she could avail herself of the same opportunity but while it had been a long day, it was going to be a longer night yet and of the staff here, Terry trusted only Nash to properly guard anyone. The tall man was out the front of the cave and so that's where Terry went on soundless feet, putting herself at his side. On the other side of the cave opening, Armando fidgeted quietly. Terry glanced over that way as the rain and wind immediately plastered her hair to her face, drenching her despite the slick fabric of her jacket. "Perhaps we should set up shifts. None of us can stand guard all night."
"Actually, I don't have any problem staying alert all night." Nash's basso rumble was softer than usual, in deference to the children. "Back in the old days, it was a good night if we got four hours of sleep."
Terry rolled her eyes. "Show off," she muttered and wiped her eyes free of the streaming rain. "It's still a good idea." A few feet away, Armando was venturing into the night, creeping step by creeping step. Terry considered calling him back but there didn't seem to be much point. She didn't hear anything unusual so she assumed it was just nervous energy and crossed over to take his place.
The patter of the storm and wind muffled any sounds an approaching creature might be making, even to the most advanced eardrums. However, Armando's startled scream carried just fine, before it was abruptly cut off with a hideous snapping sound.
"Shit," Nash gritted. His visible skin rippled and hardened, and he headed for the sound of the scream.
Terry heartily agreed with that assessment of the situation and was close behind him, sprinting flat out to keep up with his longer strides, sucking in a breath as she went. Armando couldn't have gone far, she knew. But it didn't prepare her to nearly trip over a wet, yielding lump in her path. She yelped involuntarily then turned it into a shout for Nash as she stumbled back. At her feet was a corpse, headless, torn. In the silvery dim light of the full moon as it glowed through the clouds and rain, Terry struggled not to vomit.
Nash appeared out of the dark, grabbing her arm. "Back to the cave. It's not defensible out here."
Terry nodded and let him pull her into motion then without warning threw herself into him, shoving him out of the way as a snapped twig gave way to a sleek spotted form leaping from the shadows under the trees.
Nash spun the two of them around, farther from the creature, and then whipped back in the other direction and smashed a large fist into the creature's nose. Claws bounced off rock-hard skin, not even provoking a wince from the ex-Mistra operative.
The cat reeled back with a hiss and yowl, twisting with unnatural grace and bunching again for another pounce. A short, fierce scream tumbled it back again, rattling it with fear and force. Terry didn't wait to see if it worked. "We've got to get back."
***
The rain was coming down in sheets, making Julio cold, wet, and his glasses foggy. He eventually gave up and shoved them in his back pocket. He still couldn't see for shit, but it was better than nothing. From now on, he didn't care how much of a pain in the ass they were, he was wearing contacts. "Anything?" he called to Monet.
"Nuh." She wiped water from her eyes and shook her head briefly. "There's a whole crap load of nothing out here, mate." There was a rustling in the bushes behind them. Almost, but not quite drowned out by the wind and rain. Monet whirled. "Little light here, John?"
"Working on it." He slid his lighter under his jacket, not wanting to get it wet and sparked them a light. Immediately, the flame turned into a fireball and he increased its size but lowered its heat in case someone like Julio who he figured was as blind as a bat right now were to accidentally brush up against it.
"Tell me again why coming out here in the middle of..." The words died in his throat and John stopped in his tracks as he heard a noise coming from somewhere next to him. Quickly, he manipulated the fireball, letting it hover over the bushes but there was nothing there. "So." He returned his attention to the two. "Did either of you watch that episode of The X-Files where Mulder and Scully take a trip through the woods and encounter these ancient monsters who camouflage themselves on tree trunks?" He smirked. "They were primitive looking men with piercing red eyes who killed livestock and terrorized people."
"No," Julio said, squinting into the darkness off to his right. "But I did see the one about chupacabras being an alien fungus..." his words were light, but his tone was strained. Whatever that thing had been, it had been enormous, and had left Dr. Mendez in a few pieces. Julio shook his head. "Let's make a pact? Next time someone mentions a big fucking killer jaguar, we pay attention, yes?"
Monet nodded distractedly, watching the bushes for something, anything. "Sounds like a plan." Something, a mess of teeth and claws and mud and fur came streaking out toward them. She squeaked and belted it once on its side, hoping to draw it toward her, and away from the more chewable guys. "Come here, little monster. Come to Auntie Monet. Come on..."
John didn't know what disturbed him more. The fact that Monet was referring to herself as 'Auntie' or that the killer beast was now aiming for her. "Jesus fuck..." This thing didn't look like any jaguar to him, and whatever the hell it was, it looked hungry for a kill. "Guys..." John threw his firing arm out and tried to get the creature to back off. "Gotta say..." He was well aware that Monet was highly resistant to physical injuries, but he didn't want her to chance it and risk getting hurt, especially since he was the oldest of the bunch and felt responsible for their safety. "As hungry as I am for roast beef..." He took a small step back. The damn thing looked like it could overpower all three of them easily enough and as it slowly started to circle around them, John lost his train of thought.
The creature snarled loudly at the three, slowly circling them as tension mounted with every passing heartbeat. Julio held up his hands and the creature paused and snarled louder. Julio took advantage and flung a wave of power at it, missing it by mere inches. The son of a bitch was fast. It bounded up and away, into the tree line, and out of their line of sight.
Julio cursed under his breath and craned his neck, trying to follow it, the rain getting into his eyes and drowning out any sounds the creature might be making. He turned back to his companions to see if they could spot wherever it went.
There was movement just behind him, and the hairs stood up on the back of his neck. But he didn't even have a chance to blink before something powerful and heavy slammed into him from the side, pinning him in the mud and detritus of the forest floor. Then white hot pain in his shoulder as the creature sunk in it's teeth with a wet-sounding crack.
Monet slammed into it, knocking it off Julio and punching it once before it turned and ran. ~Fuck off!~ she sent at it. The wound in the boy's shoulder was nasty. "Julio, honey, are you okay? John, cover us while I get him to cover, okay? Fuck this furry bullshit. We've got to get back under cover again now." She slid his good arm around her shoulder and stood, dragging the taller boy with her.
Julio staggered to his feet, blackness pulsing at the edges of his vision. Pain and adrenaline flooded his system, and he fought to keep from passing out, leaning heavily on Monet. The creature circled back, shaking it's head as if it were dazed, and then roared loudly.
John threw fireball after fireball towards it and towards the bushes, focusing all of his attention on the fire, building a sort of inferno. He turned around and yelled for Monet to get Julio back and away and he started to increase the heat of the flames even further. He heard the creature roar and whimper and John clenched his hands into a fist, pushing the flames forward, making sure that the damn thing was surrounded before he turned around and made a run for safety.
"We're going to have to come back to look for the body," John said once he'd caught up with the two. "We need to confirm that it's dead." He glanced down at Julio. "Obviously, our little amigo here needs some medical attention pronto, so let's just get the fuck out of here asap."
***
There weren't enough bandages. Jane had managed to staunch Julio's bleeding, but he really needed stitches. And serious antibiotics. And maybe a rabies shot. Or ten. If he started bleeding again, she wasn't sure she was going to be able to stop it. Jane twisted her lips into a tight smile. "It's going to be fine," she murmured over him as she checked his forehead for fever, her voice was calm and soothing. She rather suspected it was more for her benefit than Julio's.
The woman who sat across from Jane said nothing. Doña Teresa hadn't spoken a word since Julio had deposited her on the floor, and when he'd been brought back in, she'd knelt by his side. Not in the way, exactly, but refusing to move all of the same. She looked at Jane and tilted her head. The madness was still there, yes, but also... concern? She smoothed Julio's damp hair away from his forehead.
"It is," she insisted, handing Doña Teresa a damp cloth and a bowl of water. Wishing that someone else, anyone really, was here with them. Not that wishing ever really worked, but Jane was a firm believer in the power of positive thinking. "Please, if you could just..." she mimicked bathing Julio's face with the water. He was definitely starting to take a fever. What had they said at training? Was it aspirin or tylenol that was good for fevers? She had a bottle of aspirin, but what if it was the wrong one? And how would she get it down him?
Outside the wind picked up. Oh, where were Monet and John?
The woman took the cloth and bowl from Jane, and wiped it across Julio's forehead, cleaning some of the mud and blood still on his face. Julio drew in a sharp, rattling breath when she touched him, and she hesitated.
"What happened? Is he-" bitten "-cut somewhere else?" Jane leaned over Julio's prone figure and began gently probing the side of his face with her fingers.
Doña Teresa leaned back, fingering a beaded bracelet that hung loosely on her bony wrist. It's many colorful charms clacked against one another. She seemed to think for a moment, and then gently laid a hand on Jane's arm, urging her to move back.
The woman's touch startled Jane and she shrank backwards. "W-what? What are you doing?" Jane's calm cracked a little.
The woman laid one wizened hand on Julio's forehead, and strangely enough, the boy shifted and calmed. She gave him a gentle pat.
"Chico bueno," she said. Good boy.
The soothing, motherly movements, drained some of the tension form Jane. Mothers were smart. Mothers always knew what was best. Jane's mother always had. Not that Dona Teresa was best example of a mother, being all crazy and scary and everything.
The woman smiled at Julio. Jane didn't know it, but Doña Teresa had had an idea. Julio was a good young man with a strong body. He might be just what she needed.
Monet had opted for a walk outside despite the weather. It was warm and damp out but there were far fewer minds in range here than in the compound and Jane's wasn't nearly as annoying as most of the ones back inside. "I still can't get over how green it is here," she said. "It's gorgeous, isn't it?" The jungle was, considering her invulnerability.
"It is." Jane couldn't get over how big and green everything was, although it seemed like everytime she turned around someone was warning her not to touch this or that, and to definitely, whatever she did, not to pet that. It almost added to the allure. "Have you gotten to explore at all?"
"A bit. Not that much, though - it's always raining whenever our benevolent overlords let us out to play." Monet tugged a hand through hair gone even more out of control than usual and grinned. "If the accommodation was less shit, this'd be pretty damn awesome. The sort of place I'd stay at on an adventure camping trip. It beats the hell out of Mailuu-Suu, eh?" There were pigs and sheep in small enclosures bordered by garden beds and jungle alongside the road, doing pig and sheepy things. It was all very picturesque, what with the birds and the red over there ... "Janey, hon? What's that?" Monet's mind was refusing to acknowledge what she saw.
Jane followed Monet's gaze and froze. "I," Jane paused trying to reconcile the scene with those surrounding it. The sheep in nearby pens started to bleat loudly in alarm. "I think they were goats?" 'Were' being the operative word. The pen was strewn with bloody carcasses, freshly savaged. The ground slowly soaking in the pools of blood that had formed around them. "What happened?"
They really were goats, weren't they? "I think something tried to eat them and got bored?" The theme from Jaws was running though her head. "What kind of crazy person does this to goats? They're evil but not that evil, y'know?"
"...goats are evil?" Jane shook her head and turned away from the gruesome sight, grateful to have something to latch her gibbering brain onto. "I didn't know that."
"Oh god, yeah. Look into their eyes sometime. But uh... not now." Monet frowned, thinking. "Let's get back, okay? This is kind've seriously disgusting."
Within literally seconds of Jane and Monet's arrival, the noise started again at the door. Louder, angrier, more instant. Whatever had killed Dr. Mendez the night before was back.
Rising panic led to a cacophony of voices that echoed around inside Terry's head. Children screamed incomprehensibly and Terry really wished she'd spent more time learning languages that weren't spoken in Western Europe. The creature outside was about three seconds from knocking down the hastily re-hung door and no one here looked the slightest bit like they had a clue what to do next. Well, that wasn't going to stand then, was it? The short redhead half turned and reached out, grabbing the shirtsleeve of the Elpis worker nearest her.
Of course it was Kevin, Terry reflected as she looked up at her best friend's boyfriend. That's just how the Fates liked to play. "We've got to get these people out of here. That's not going to hold the bloody thing for long."
Kevin had a child clinging to him on one side and then suddenly had someone grabbing him from the other. How he had become the same thing to cling to he wasn't sure. Apparently silent equated to safe? When he turned to see who the new person was he groaned on the inside. Terry, great. "Yeah, but where are we herdin' 'em to? You find a path and Ah can round 'em up probably." Right now would be a great time to have a lasso. And the ability to use it.
The weight of the creature collided with the door again and Kevin could hear the wood whine and creak. "We need a way out and Ah can't give us one." Any other time and he could have eaten away some of the wall so they could smash through it. He was just as useless as any other person right now, minus the outward panicking. Kevin liked his panicking on the inside.
"Sure you didn't do much exploring, did you then? We'll go out through the kitchen. It'll be a bit of a struggle but between the two of us we can get them all over the wall," Terry sounded exactly the opposite of panicked, having no time for it right now. She didn't even think about it and it would be hours before she had time anyway. "Children first, poor things." She cast a sympathetic glance at the kid clinging to Kevin's arm. "Let's go."
"Nope, Ah didn't." Was he supposed to do exploring? He was trying to downsize his incidents of stupid gringo, it was kind of a full-time job and didn't lend itself from exploring so much as veering away from. Kevin picked up the kid hanging on his arm, figuring it'd just be quicker to carry her. "Alright, you lead, Ah'll get 'em to follow you and we'll figure out the best way to get 'em over the wall, okay?" He nodded to her and went off, little girl still in his arms, to usher all the kids into something of a group so he could get them to all follow Terry out. The screaming every time something hit against the door wasn't helping to calm them and his ear was left ringing after the girl he was carrying screeched.
Terry started to hum as she went round the room, a soft, soothing melody that ensured its listeners that they could trust her. She didn't know if it would work--every other time she'd done this, she'd just been backing up a verbal suggestion--but it was the only way she had right now to get cooperation. From the wide, white-eyed stares of the families in huddling against the wall, it was having a hard time penetrating the fear. "Come on, we're getting out of here. It'll be okay."
Ignore the banging. Ignore the screams. Ignore everything but the task at hand because that's the most important thing right now. Don't fail those in your care again, Terry. You've got one chance at this.
Kevin had a crowd of kids of varying ages who had more or less made a train. One was hanging onto his belt and the others sort of branched off some that one but they were all staying close. He had that good guy look about him and kids generally seemed to like that he was as soft spoken as he was. A few were more jumpy, not wanting to listen to him or anyone else and instead just panic but they'd been dragged into the group as well. It had taken a few minutes but he had all the kids and went back to Terry as if reporting for duty. "Alright, ma'am, lead on." He nodded to her, knowing that the adults would either follow the kids or would handle themselves. A hand slipped into his free hand and he wondered how long this daddy effect was going to last.
Various kids in the group were still screaming at every noise, even the ones caused by other people around them. Others were crying, some verging on hysterical. Kevin worried if they didn't move quick enough that some might have to be picked up or dragged along so they didn't just huddle down on the ground and hope the thing outside went away.
Terry looked steadily at Kevin for a moment, then at the children and her own gathered bunch. Casting her mind back to the first day they'd arrived--it seemed like forever ago--she changed her tune, literally, and began to sing the song they'd been playing on the street. Confidence, fearlessness, hope infused her voice and she offered a hand to a couple of children who clung to her much the same way that Kevin's were.
"This way, then. We've got to move at a fair pace," she chirped brightly, like this was all an adventure. Like a Pied Piper, the Irish girl and the Southern boy led the children out of the main room, toward the kitchen, and they hoped, safety.
"~Wait, shit, where is La Llorona?~" Armando snapped, stopping their group at the door and quickly doing another headcount. After Kevin and Terry had taken the first batch, the rest of the adults had rounded up the children. The second group had left with the creature still pounding away at the door. Then, strangely, it had stopped as suddenly as it had started. But they weren't taking chances. Better to go where there were no walls to break down. Unfortunately, one seemed to be missing.
"~I think I saw her near the door,~" Julio said, handing the child he was carrying off to one of the older girls. "~I'll go get her,~" he turned to run after her.
"~Hold on, stupid! Take a weapon!~" Jaime tried to pass off his rifle but Julio waved it away, holding out his hands.
"~I already am one. Go! I'll grab her and I'll be right behind!~" Jaime and the other man nodded.
"~Follow Armando!~" Jaime said to his wide-eyed charges soothingly, pushing the children out after the older man. "~I'll be right behind, kiddos...~"
Julio ducked quickly back through the hallway, almost skidding on the tile before spotting the blanketed figure of Doña Teresa in plaza outside the orphanage, heading towards the animal pens. Julio cursed and looked behind him, before jumping over what remained of the door and running and jumping off the orphanage's top steps. "~It'll be fine, just paperwork, no problem,~" he muttered under his breath. "~Weird comas, dinosaurs, and now chasing after crazy women while being stalked by monsters, I swear to God, I am never freaking leaving the mansion grounds again.~"
Overhead the sky rumbled menacingly. The cloud-cover was thick, with the sky appearing pink, and the air held a charge. Almost as if the sky was holding it's breath and waiting for something before it burst. He pounded across the plaza, towards the animal pens, skidding to a halt when he figured out he was hearing frightened shrieks coming from the same direction. Rolling his eyes heavenward, Julio cursed under his breath and plunged forward, reflexively grasping at his connection to a small faultline some 40 miles away, at the very least he could throw enough energy at whatever it was so it would go far, far away.
Julio spotted the woman crouched down near the toolshed, blanket grasped to her shoulders and rocking herself. Still speaking in that high, strange language. Shaking his head, he made to get closer but froze when he heard a deep growl from behind him. The bottom dropped out of his stomach, and he slowly turned around. What he saw made his eyes widen.
"Mierda."
It was crouched at the other end of the garden, the wooden gate torn away like so much matchsticks. It was big, bigger than any big cat Julio had ever seen. It watched him with large yellow eyes, pink tongue lolling as it panted, tense as a coiled spring. It's fur was spotted like a jaguar's, and matted with blood and leftover gore. Julio swallowed audibly. A few loaded seconds passed, with Julio carefully edging towards Dona Teresa. The growls grew louder, and Julio froze. Doña Teresa's muttering became much louder. The cat's head snapped towards her, and she stood, pointing at it. Her cracked and ruined voice getting as close to yelling as it could.
"Oye, callate!" Julio snapped, eyeing the creature. It was even tenser, if that was possible, with lips that were pulled back into a snarl. "~Shut up please, you stupid woman!~" His clenched fists began to ripple slightly, as he drew the power shifting beneath their feet towards him.
Doña Teresa held her head up and then spat on the ground. In the space of a heartbeat, the creature lunged. Doña Teresa shrieked and shielded her face. The creature's infuriated growl turned into an almost human-sounding yelp as Julio raised his hands and slammed it with the power he pulled up from the faultline, sending it sailing over the mudbrick wall. It landed with a resounding thud.
Doña Teresa stood in the middle of the path, frozen in shock. She looked at Julio, eyes almost comedically wide. Julio shook his head and decided he didn't have time for any more bullshit. In one fluid motion, he scooped up the tiny woman and threw her over his shoulder in a fireman's carry. He was sure that whenever the creature got up from wherever he'd knocked it, it was going to be pissed.
The small cave they used for storage had several tactical advantages the orphanage did not, one of them being there was only one small, easily defensible entrance. Everyone was now accounted for. All they had to do now was wait.
And of course, the sky chose that exact moment to split open.
Terry pulled herself away from the group of children she'd been calming with a song, most now with heavy eyes and sleep stealing in, leaning together in little puppy piles, taking comfort from the closeness. Terry wished she could avail herself of the same opportunity but while it had been a long day, it was going to be a longer night yet and of the staff here, Terry trusted only Nash to properly guard anyone. The tall man was out the front of the cave and so that's where Terry went on soundless feet, putting herself at his side. On the other side of the cave opening, Armando fidgeted quietly. Terry glanced over that way as the rain and wind immediately plastered her hair to her face, drenching her despite the slick fabric of her jacket. "Perhaps we should set up shifts. None of us can stand guard all night."
"Actually, I don't have any problem staying alert all night." Nash's basso rumble was softer than usual, in deference to the children. "Back in the old days, it was a good night if we got four hours of sleep."
Terry rolled her eyes. "Show off," she muttered and wiped her eyes free of the streaming rain. "It's still a good idea." A few feet away, Armando was venturing into the night, creeping step by creeping step. Terry considered calling him back but there didn't seem to be much point. She didn't hear anything unusual so she assumed it was just nervous energy and crossed over to take his place.
The patter of the storm and wind muffled any sounds an approaching creature might be making, even to the most advanced eardrums. However, Armando's startled scream carried just fine, before it was abruptly cut off with a hideous snapping sound.
"Shit," Nash gritted. His visible skin rippled and hardened, and he headed for the sound of the scream.
Terry heartily agreed with that assessment of the situation and was close behind him, sprinting flat out to keep up with his longer strides, sucking in a breath as she went. Armando couldn't have gone far, she knew. But it didn't prepare her to nearly trip over a wet, yielding lump in her path. She yelped involuntarily then turned it into a shout for Nash as she stumbled back. At her feet was a corpse, headless, torn. In the silvery dim light of the full moon as it glowed through the clouds and rain, Terry struggled not to vomit.
Nash appeared out of the dark, grabbing her arm. "Back to the cave. It's not defensible out here."
Terry nodded and let him pull her into motion then without warning threw herself into him, shoving him out of the way as a snapped twig gave way to a sleek spotted form leaping from the shadows under the trees.
Nash spun the two of them around, farther from the creature, and then whipped back in the other direction and smashed a large fist into the creature's nose. Claws bounced off rock-hard skin, not even provoking a wince from the ex-Mistra operative.
The cat reeled back with a hiss and yowl, twisting with unnatural grace and bunching again for another pounce. A short, fierce scream tumbled it back again, rattling it with fear and force. Terry didn't wait to see if it worked. "We've got to get back."
The rain was coming down in sheets, making Julio cold, wet, and his glasses foggy. He eventually gave up and shoved them in his back pocket. He still couldn't see for shit, but it was better than nothing. From now on, he didn't care how much of a pain in the ass they were, he was wearing contacts. "Anything?" he called to Monet.
"Nuh." She wiped water from her eyes and shook her head briefly. "There's a whole crap load of nothing out here, mate." There was a rustling in the bushes behind them. Almost, but not quite drowned out by the wind and rain. Monet whirled. "Little light here, John?"
"Working on it." He slid his lighter under his jacket, not wanting to get it wet and sparked them a light. Immediately, the flame turned into a fireball and he increased its size but lowered its heat in case someone like Julio who he figured was as blind as a bat right now were to accidentally brush up against it.
"Tell me again why coming out here in the middle of..." The words died in his throat and John stopped in his tracks as he heard a noise coming from somewhere next to him. Quickly, he manipulated the fireball, letting it hover over the bushes but there was nothing there. "So." He returned his attention to the two. "Did either of you watch that episode of The X-Files where Mulder and Scully take a trip through the woods and encounter these ancient monsters who camouflage themselves on tree trunks?" He smirked. "They were primitive looking men with piercing red eyes who killed livestock and terrorized people."
"No," Julio said, squinting into the darkness off to his right. "But I did see the one about chupacabras being an alien fungus..." his words were light, but his tone was strained. Whatever that thing had been, it had been enormous, and had left Dr. Mendez in a few pieces. Julio shook his head. "Let's make a pact? Next time someone mentions a big fucking killer jaguar, we pay attention, yes?"
Monet nodded distractedly, watching the bushes for something, anything. "Sounds like a plan." Something, a mess of teeth and claws and mud and fur came streaking out toward them. She squeaked and belted it once on its side, hoping to draw it toward her, and away from the more chewable guys. "Come here, little monster. Come to Auntie Monet. Come on..."
John didn't know what disturbed him more. The fact that Monet was referring to herself as 'Auntie' or that the killer beast was now aiming for her. "Jesus fuck..." This thing didn't look like any jaguar to him, and whatever the hell it was, it looked hungry for a kill. "Guys..." John threw his firing arm out and tried to get the creature to back off. "Gotta say..." He was well aware that Monet was highly resistant to physical injuries, but he didn't want her to chance it and risk getting hurt, especially since he was the oldest of the bunch and felt responsible for their safety. "As hungry as I am for roast beef..." He took a small step back. The damn thing looked like it could overpower all three of them easily enough and as it slowly started to circle around them, John lost his train of thought.
The creature snarled loudly at the three, slowly circling them as tension mounted with every passing heartbeat. Julio held up his hands and the creature paused and snarled louder. Julio took advantage and flung a wave of power at it, missing it by mere inches. The son of a bitch was fast. It bounded up and away, into the tree line, and out of their line of sight.
Julio cursed under his breath and craned his neck, trying to follow it, the rain getting into his eyes and drowning out any sounds the creature might be making. He turned back to his companions to see if they could spot wherever it went.
There was movement just behind him, and the hairs stood up on the back of his neck. But he didn't even have a chance to blink before something powerful and heavy slammed into him from the side, pinning him in the mud and detritus of the forest floor. Then white hot pain in his shoulder as the creature sunk in it's teeth with a wet-sounding crack.
Monet slammed into it, knocking it off Julio and punching it once before it turned and ran. ~Fuck off!~ she sent at it. The wound in the boy's shoulder was nasty. "Julio, honey, are you okay? John, cover us while I get him to cover, okay? Fuck this furry bullshit. We've got to get back under cover again now." She slid his good arm around her shoulder and stood, dragging the taller boy with her.
Julio staggered to his feet, blackness pulsing at the edges of his vision. Pain and adrenaline flooded his system, and he fought to keep from passing out, leaning heavily on Monet. The creature circled back, shaking it's head as if it were dazed, and then roared loudly.
John threw fireball after fireball towards it and towards the bushes, focusing all of his attention on the fire, building a sort of inferno. He turned around and yelled for Monet to get Julio back and away and he started to increase the heat of the flames even further. He heard the creature roar and whimper and John clenched his hands into a fist, pushing the flames forward, making sure that the damn thing was surrounded before he turned around and made a run for safety.
"We're going to have to come back to look for the body," John said once he'd caught up with the two. "We need to confirm that it's dead." He glanced down at Julio. "Obviously, our little amigo here needs some medical attention pronto, so let's just get the fuck out of here asap."
There weren't enough bandages. Jane had managed to staunch Julio's bleeding, but he really needed stitches. And serious antibiotics. And maybe a rabies shot. Or ten. If he started bleeding again, she wasn't sure she was going to be able to stop it. Jane twisted her lips into a tight smile. "It's going to be fine," she murmured over him as she checked his forehead for fever, her voice was calm and soothing. She rather suspected it was more for her benefit than Julio's.
The woman who sat across from Jane said nothing. Doña Teresa hadn't spoken a word since Julio had deposited her on the floor, and when he'd been brought back in, she'd knelt by his side. Not in the way, exactly, but refusing to move all of the same. She looked at Jane and tilted her head. The madness was still there, yes, but also... concern? She smoothed Julio's damp hair away from his forehead.
"It is," she insisted, handing Doña Teresa a damp cloth and a bowl of water. Wishing that someone else, anyone really, was here with them. Not that wishing ever really worked, but Jane was a firm believer in the power of positive thinking. "Please, if you could just..." she mimicked bathing Julio's face with the water. He was definitely starting to take a fever. What had they said at training? Was it aspirin or tylenol that was good for fevers? She had a bottle of aspirin, but what if it was the wrong one? And how would she get it down him?
Outside the wind picked up. Oh, where were Monet and John?
The woman took the cloth and bowl from Jane, and wiped it across Julio's forehead, cleaning some of the mud and blood still on his face. Julio drew in a sharp, rattling breath when she touched him, and she hesitated.
"What happened? Is he-" bitten "-cut somewhere else?" Jane leaned over Julio's prone figure and began gently probing the side of his face with her fingers.
Doña Teresa leaned back, fingering a beaded bracelet that hung loosely on her bony wrist. It's many colorful charms clacked against one another. She seemed to think for a moment, and then gently laid a hand on Jane's arm, urging her to move back.
The woman's touch startled Jane and she shrank backwards. "W-what? What are you doing?" Jane's calm cracked a little.
The woman laid one wizened hand on Julio's forehead, and strangely enough, the boy shifted and calmed. She gave him a gentle pat.
"Chico bueno," she said. Good boy.
The soothing, motherly movements, drained some of the tension form Jane. Mothers were smart. Mothers always knew what was best. Jane's mother always had. Not that Dona Teresa was best example of a mother, being all crazy and scary and everything.
The woman smiled at Julio. Jane didn't know it, but Doña Teresa had had an idea. Julio was a good young man with a strong body. He might be just what she needed.
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