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Post by Jules on Aug 22, 2008 21:21:52 GMT -5
Sure Mary was supposed to help the other officers first. Sure Vince had made her promise. And she sure as hell didn't give a flying rat's ass. The moment she saw Vince down with caving in ceiling was the moment she stopped trying to direct the sudden chaos and rushed to him. Like one might house a grenade beneath them, she tucked herself over his head as a large piece of ceiling crashed into her back instead of Vince's face.
Camilla sidestepped a supporting beam and glanced at Jasper's inert form. Sighing she wrapped her arms around the cocoon best she could and began to heave for the entrance. If anyone asked why she was trying to save one of her captors, she'd just mumble something about justice and they'd probably mark it down to her being a Dream.
James had set the Dream bomb to go off a minute after the initial blast in a chickenshit mood of his because he seriously did not want to be responsible for killing the King or any of the more prominent members of the L.O.S. Which still meant the Nightmares had about forty seconds before the thing went off.
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Post by Miss Jack on Aug 22, 2008 21:47:21 GMT -5
Jasper blinked back into consciousness and groaned.
James. Nice.
"Grab my gun," he told Camilla, shifting so his hip could be better accessed. "Shoot through the ones on my feet."
Vince groaned and Johnny let out a wounded whine, trapped beneath a beam. Vince glanced once at his friend, and then at a crumpled Mary near by him. He cursed once he realized what had happened. "You idiot," he growled in her ear as he picked her up in his arms.
"Get out!" he barked the order at the rest of them. "The building's collapsing."
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Post by Jules on Aug 22, 2008 22:16:19 GMT -5
Camilla fumbled to slid the gun from the bandaging. It was like steel. It took her a moment and she had to pushed them aside somewhat because the building was no longer stable but she managed. And then with shaking hands she held the gun to the point between his ankles. She closed her eyes (probably not very confidence inspiring for Jasper) cocked it like she'd seen him do when he'd threatened to shoot her in the stomach and pulled the trigger.
The forced rattled her arm and the only thing that kept her holding onto the gun was remembering the pain she went through to retrieve it last time. The bandages fumed and then cracked. It seemed to loosen them all when that one broke and she began pulling them off him almost in a panic. They couldn't stay here much longer. They were extremely lucky nothing had hit them yet.
Mary was surprised. She'd probably have been able to walk on her own and what did he want her to do? Let the chunk of ceiling greet his face? Well okay, her back was throbbing horribly and she really hoped the lack of feeling in her legs wasn't permanent but still.
"I'm the idiot? How were you planning on stopping that huge chunk of debris? Your glare isn't that scary."
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Post by Miss Jack on Aug 22, 2008 22:28:17 GMT -5
He hadn't been expecting them to all come off, but he helped Camilla shove his arms and torso free. He grabbed the gun from her and snapped it into the holster.
"Get out of here," he told her, and then added as afterthought, "Be careful." It would greatly displease him if she caused him all this stress only to get maimed by a fallen chunk of debris.
He ran to Diaspro and picked her up, bandages and all. They didn't have time. He grunted at her weight, but managed to pull her out of the building. Not that Dreambombs would hurt them, but he didn't trust the falling cabin.
"I told you to take care of yourself--- next time you let it hit me," he snapped angrily. Bandages swam from his wrists and wrapped around the beam over Johnny. With a heaving thrust the beam flipped off and out of sight. Johnny shook it off, his fur rustling. Checking his grip on Mary, Vince took off toward the door, Johnny at his heels.
He rolled his eyes when he saw the other officers waiting for them. "Keep going!" he said. Idiots. "They had Dreambombs, we need some distance!"
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Post by Jules on Aug 22, 2008 22:46:10 GMT -5
Distance didn't become an issue then because it went off. The sickening energy flooded the basement, slid over the debris and by the time it reached the L.O.S members it was perhaps not as strong. That, combined with it having half the force of what Hina had been capable of was probably what saved the Nightmares.
Mary hissed, loudly and then pinched the bridge of Vince's nose without really thinking about it. Congential insensitivity to pain was becoming one of her favorite diseases. She would've inflicted it on herself except by the time the disease would've turned on her, the burning pain would be over. The brevity didn't stop it from hurting, she tried not to move around too much. She didn't want Vince dropping her when she still couldn't quite gain control of her legs.
Camilla smiled at him and then ran right out of the building. He wouldn't get hurt, he wouldn't. They'd both get away.
Diaspro groaned and realized what was happening. She'd kiss James for this. And Jasper, for that matter. She tried as much as she could to lighten herself, changing her texture and stone to that of Scoria (the lightest form of rock on earth). It meant she was a heck of a lot weaker, but Jasper had some luck in not getting hit by certain things and she was counting on that.
Once they were outside she shifted back to her natural marble. "Get me out of these." She mumbled.
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Post by Miss Jack on Aug 22, 2008 22:53:23 GMT -5
He couldn't be sure if she'd suddenly gotten lighter, or if his extremities were finally going numb after the exertions of the day. He set her down and shot one of the bandages, barely looking. He peeled them off one at a time and finally looked at her. "You alright?"
It was only Johnny's sudden howl of pain that alerted him to the fact that the Dreambomb's effects had passed over them. The other officers stumbled, gripping their stomachs or their heads, writhing with the brief agony. Too late, he realized what Mary had done. He knew her powers well enough to know that she couldn't have had time to use the disease similarly on herself. He fixed her with a glare fit to peel paint.
"Are you purposely ignoring my orders?" he snarled.
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Post by Jules on Aug 22, 2008 23:20:50 GMT -5
"Are you a masochist? Did you want to feel the pain?" She asked, looking him full in the glare with a smile. Even if that snarl was a little frightening, she was used to it by now and it had lost most of its effect on her. "Not really. I don't particularly remembering you ordering me to let you get hurt."
It was really weird for her to care about someone's well-being before her own. Before Vince, she would've never have ducked over anyone like that, or removed their pain at the cost of her own. But that had changed over the last century or so, and it wasn't entirely unpleasant, if incredibly annoying sometimes.
Diaspro placed a hand carefully on Jasper's shoulder. "I'm fine, you?" In a rare moment of softness. After all, when it was all said and done with James and Jasper stuck by her through thick and thin, never gave up on her, even when they were doing horribly. In her own stony way, she was quite fond of the both of them. "And thank you Jasper."
James came out of the woodwork or so it seemed, grinning like a fool. "C'mon you guys. I've got the getaway car." For the longest time Diaspro had saved up for a Jeep. It ran on fuel and had been expensive, but it ran well in the Endless wastes and helped her get into town quicker. Horses had a hard time carrying her and she didn't often feel safe changing her stone.
Diaspro followed James and got into the back of the car, in the middle seat. James climbed into the passenger's seat since Jasper was the only one they trusted at the wheel. Diaspro was too heavy on the gas and James to twitchy.
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Post by Miss Jack on Aug 23, 2008 19:26:30 GMT -5
Jasper managed a smile. Just another day with D.E.N. "Can't complain."
He turned as James approached. He followed them both to the jeep, sending one last, furtive glance in the direction Camilla had run, then hoisted himself into the driver's seat. He adjusted the seat back to the farthest setting for his long legs, and with the other hand jerked the car into gear. The tires squealed, sending a ray of dust behind them as they roared from the scene of the crime. Jasper sent a sidelong glance at both of them. "Everyone alive?"
------------
"I said--" He broke off with an exasperated sigh, shifting his glare to the side instead of at her. "Are you okay?" he asked finally.
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Post by Jules on Aug 23, 2008 19:43:54 GMT -5
Mary grinned and nodded. "Just can't feel my legs. Probably isn't permanent." She was being light hearted, but it would really suck if she were paralyzed. A dusty Camilla stepped forward and looked Mary over with an analytical gaze. "I could take a look if you want?"
Hopefully the woman hadn't been paralyzed in their saving of her. Besides the Nightmare holding her looked like one bag full of nasty and she didn't really want to get on his bad side. He was giving her the shivers just standing there. Camilla vaguely recognized him (Vince, right?) but still.
Diaspro nodded and James yelped excitedly. They were actually getting away. Sure nothing had gone as planned, but they couldn't have asked for much better considering.
"James, that was brilliant." Diaspro complimented, and the man's face almost split he was grinning so hard.
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Post by Miss Jack on Aug 23, 2008 20:02:21 GMT -5
Vince's eyes narrowed. Tension thrummed through his body, the effect of a fine rage, but he wasn't strictly mad at her, he was just mad. Upset.
He turned as Camilla approached and nodded once. She was the hospital director, right? And a fairy godmother besides. "Yes," he agreed to her offer, without bothering to wait for Mary's consent.
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Post by Jules on Aug 23, 2008 20:18:09 GMT -5
Camilla directed them to a place a little bits away from the settling once-a-shack and helped Vince lay Mary down gently on her stomach. Camilla felt more comfortable sliding into her Doctor role. The last few days had been stressful and exciting and confusing and it was soothing to worry about someone else.
Mary apparently didn't have any say in this. Not that she could've managed to get up and walk away just yet. And why were her hands so cold? Camilla had pulled up her shirt to expose her back, which was discolored and bleeding slightly from a few small abrasion. Firmly but gently Camilla ran two fingers down Mary's spine. No problems, no problems, no pro---oh no.
Mary hissed and Camilla ran her hand over the spine again to check, maybe it was a mistake.
No. There it was, the fracture in a lower vertebrae.
"You've broken your spine, I'm afraid. You're paralyzed from the waist down. I'm sorry. But, please, don't freak out." She said, slipping out of her cold, Doctorish tone. "I can fix it as soon as I get a new wand."
Which would probably not be anytime tomorrow, but still. Mary lifted her head and glared at Camilla. "What? I'm---what?"
The Fairy Godmother smiled weakly. Nightmares were kind of frightening when they were mad.
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Post by Miss Jack on Aug 23, 2008 20:33:14 GMT -5
What?
Vince stared at Camilla in angered disbelief.
Elsewhere and nearby, four other Nightmares in direct connection to him cringed. Vince, Mr. No Emotions Ever, was suddenly overwhelmed with a variety of potent, incredibly unpleasant ones.
What happened? Simon asked.
Vince didn't answer, but everyone could see what he saw, viewed his memory. Jack arrived right on time, running, out of breath to where Vince, Mary and Camilla sat. "Mary," Jack whispered, pained. "Are you--" No, of course she wasn't alright. "How long until you have a new wand?"
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Post by Jules on Aug 23, 2008 20:50:54 GMT -5
Camilla looked at Vince worriedly and began to edge away just a little when Jack came stumbling up. She felt bad, she really did, but it wasn't really her fault the woman was an idiot. "It's not that simple. I need---it's hard to get a new one. They don't exactly grow on trees.
What she needed was a unicorns horn, given of it's own freewill and she wasn't exactly a maiden anymore. She needed the right kind of stone to whittle it with and unicorns weren't that common to begin with and it usually took a few months to get a wand just right and she didn't think these people would appreciate that answer.
"It usually takes, umm, about halfayear." She could probably rush it and do it in three months or so if she worked like a dog, which judging by the look on their faces was what they'd expect.
Mary pulled down her shirt and flipped herself over, hating the way her legs clumsily followed her like dead fish. "Are you kidding me? Half a year?" She wanted to cry, but she'd figured it make Jack and Vince uncomfortable. She put two hands on her left knee and tried to push it off her right one. But she dropped it a second later when she realized she couldn't even feel her hands on her legs.
"I--I can't be like this for half a year."
She sat up.
Or, at least she tried. "Why can't I sit up?" She asked, only a little panicked. "I thought, only my legs?"
Camilla shook her head sadly. "Waist down. The muscles you use to sit up are below your waist."
Mary covered her face with her hands and groaned.
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Post by Miss Jack on Aug 23, 2008 23:01:38 GMT -5
Jack looked at Vince with concern. His friend had an entirely foreign look of helplessness. He knew Vince felt responsible, and even guilty; remorse wasn't common emotion he had to deal with.
"Thanks," Jack told Camilla. Her services were only available at her own whim, and certainly things would be hard enough for her without a wand, like she'd been paralyzed herself. "Any resources of mine you need...."
Admittedly, however, as much as he liked both Mary and Camilla, he wanted Mary to be okay for Vince's sake. "Vince..." Jack began quietly. Hearing his name at last triggered a reaction. The mummy stood to his feet in one jerky motion, stalking away. Jack winced. He looked at Mary sympathetically. "Just give him a little time."
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Post by Jules on Aug 23, 2008 23:09:10 GMT -5
Mary couldn't believe this. Maybe it was him stalking away when that privelege was no longer hers after saving HIS face from getting bashed in. Maybe it was how she couldn't believe that even Vince would just leave her laying here, feeling so pathetic she'd really wished she could melt into the earth.
"Give...give him time? I'm the one who can't even sit up on her own." She propped herself up on her elbows, which was the most she could manage. "How am I supposed to get home? How am I supposed to exist like this for six months? He needs time? He needs time? What about me?"
She fell back onto the desert floor, closing her eyes against it all. She felt a hand on her shoulder, too dainty to be Jack's and then Camilla's voice. "I'll fix this, I promise." She looked to Jack. "If you have a spare unicorn on hand..."
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