Aberrant: Dead Rising - Chapter 13: All Soul's Night - Fox's Refuge

[SalmonMax]

Sarah didn't have to wait long. Myfwany emerged from the milling, ebbing crowd only minutes later with Andy leading her on. She came over to Sarah and squinted slightly...a tell Sarah knew meant she was using one of her powers to see.

"How are you doing?" the doctor asked soothingly as she stared into and through Sarah's body. "Any pains? Numbness? Trouble breathing?"

Her eyes refocused on Sarah's face. "I know you were doing what you felt was best...but you're getting far enough along that in the future, it might be best if you let others do the heavy fighting. If possible, I mean."

[Karren Gaunt]

Sarah vaguely gestured 'no, she didn't feel any pain' and 'yes, she'd be more careful in the future', but didn't come to full focus until she rested both hands on her stomach and asked, softly, urgently, "Is my baby okay? I had no choice but to do something, but if I..."

Did I kill my baby? Did I let my guilt at seeing all the ones I've killed add one more victim? Is Dan going to hate me for killing our baby?

Her blue eyes searched Myf's, all traces of the fighter who had protected others through the nightmare night washing away under a tide of fear and leaving a young woman who feared she might have done something very stupid just when things were going right behind.

[SalmonMax]

"Shh," Myfwany said softly. "The baby's fine. Just do be careful, all right? It seems as if your powers aren't hurting it...but that doesn't mean it will be safe from whatever those monsters can do." She smiled. "But right now, the baby's okay. Everything's okay."

At least inside you, she added mentally. She didn't look around at the rest of the camp...she needed to be confident for her patient, and she didn't think she'd be able to project that confidence if she was seeing the fear and despondance on the faces around her.

[Hammer]

Benita moved back to the cannon in the light to help the last bit of loading and turn the shot into to iron. She moved to the side as the gun sound and ripped in to one of the ghost. She then moved forward out of the horseman light to attack another ghost. “I will hold them off. Someone go down and gather all the iron things you can and reload.” At that Benita jumped up and behind one of the ghost and came down on it with her iron staff. The crew quickly so to speak reloaded the gun and filled it with nails that they had found along with some brackets and other bits around the ship. Benita moved back into the light but not before one of the ghost got by her block and sliced her arm. The canon sounded again and got another ghost. Benita started to think that this was going to take way to long. On one hand we do have the safety of the light and that is that but we can’t go any- where. She had an idea she moved to the bow of the ship trading blows with the ghosts that where left. When she arrived she grabbed the chain that was used for the anchor and broke off a good length. Taking another good hit from one of the ghost she started to bleed a bit more. The cannon went off again. Benita started to swing the chain around her like a kid with a ribbon daring the ghost to come at her. One of the remaining ghosts advanced on her to his own end. The top moved up on around trying to herd the ghost into the light to disperse them. With the dace of the chain looking like something out of a bad Hong-Kong movie the last of the ghost where gone and the first light started to come up over the horizon. The Major tipped his hat and was washed way with the dawn light.

“Okay men we need to get somewhere where we can find food resupplies and maybe a good nurse”. Walking up to the headless man. “I am sorry I did not catch your name?” “you will pardon me from shaking at the moment I am a little messing and bloody”

[Karren Gaunt]

"Shh," Myfwany said softly. "The baby's fine. Just do be careful, all right? It seems as if your powers aren't hurting it...but that doesn't mean it will be safe from whatever those monsters can do." She smiled. "But right now, the baby's okay. Everything's okay."

At least inside you, she added mentally. She didn't look around at the rest of the camp...she needed to be confident for her patient, and she didn't think she'd be able to project that confidence if she was seeing the fear and despondance on the faces around her.

"Okay," Sarah exhaled with a huge breath of relief as an ugly knot of tension started to slowly unravel at the back of her mind, "Okay... Thank you. If I had hurt it atop of all the other people I've hurt, I... Right. Things to do and people to help. Cry later."

She rose to her feet and smiled down ruefully at the torn state of her clothing, feeble, brittle humor, but humor none the less, "...But maybe I can get away with darting to my apartment and changing into something not indecent. Can the refuge spare another pair of hands for ten minutes?"

[Doctor Varroxxian]

On the ship ...

Varro held his form until dawn - light blazing away and keeping the crew safe. When the threat had passed, and the young Lady Captain approached him, and he shifted back ... clearly exhausted. "Hello, nice to meet you. Call me Varro, Doc Varro. I didn't bring my medical bag ... do you have a medical kit? Even a lighter, a needle and thread and some disinfectant? We're going to need to stich up those big gashes some of you have ... and dress the rest. Even a whiskey or strong clear liquor will work for disinfectant - as long as its high proof, and not something sugary."

They made their introductions and small talk over some stitches ... clearly, there was now a Doctor on board. Varro took care of the whole crew and guided them into port. Since the port was a fair distance away from the campus sight, people would see the ship but it would take a few minutes to get to them. Fox probably had his hands full, and they needed to get the ship tied up ... given her anchor chain was in pieces.

Once they got into port, Varro suggested the Captain choose two others to come with her ... too many people would be a bit threatening right now. He assured them these were good people, but that there had been loss of life last night. They too had been attacked by ghosts. People would be on edge ... and he suggested no weapons. He would take them to an open place near the refuge but outside the fence. There, they could be seen and were not a threat. Varro suggested no weapons ... as a gesture of friendship.

....

At the refuge ...

Doc Varro had exhausted himself in the battle. His four clones had kept the circle of light going for as long as they could, long enough for the people to arm themselves with their own improvised Jack-o-lanterns ... and then too long, so they literally dissipated in what looked to be a grueling, painful effort to keep themselves together.

The real Varro had then been absent from the scene, no one at the refuge knowing where he had gone until he returned in the morning with news. He was with three people outside the fence, then Varro came in while they waited. People could see the sails of the tall ship in port.

Varro looked for some senior member of the refuge. He was new, but these sailors needed a safe harbour while they sorted themselves out. Plus they could be valuable allies.

....

He asked around, on the way, and to the guards "Have you seen Fox? ... No? How about Sarah, maybe Dan?" ... things were obviously hectic this morning. He didn't get a clear answer.

[Krysti-Lynn Magnussen]

Kristin squinted against the sunlight cresting the horizon, painting the greyness of dawn with streaks of rose and lavender and gold. She watched at the new light crept visibly closer, dispelling the evening shadows and as it washed over the ephemeral forms of her dead brothers, they faded away, who waved at their sister, the youngest of them, regretful smiles on their lips. Kristin was unaware of the wetness on her fine cheek.

Her mighty shoulders slumped and Kristin staggered for a moment before she locked her knees. She had never felt so exhausted, so drained before, not even when she had spent an entire day plowing a field by hand. It was doubly odd since she had never used her strength-stealing... thing so much before, yet unlike every other time she had used it, it hadn't filled her with a surge of power and vitality.

She stretched, back cracking audibly. Her breasts, swollen and turgid with milk ached; she must've leaked some during the night, she could feel the dry crust crack with each deep breath she took. And the horrid spawn growing inside her was being particularly active, its kicks coming at frequent, if not consistent, intervals. God, I hate you...

Ashley and Mark made it down from the roof where they had taken shelter for most of the night, find Kristin pale and shaking as she succumbed to the shock of what she had witnessed and endured last night. While the adrenaline had been pumping, she had been able to push it away, but now, seeing her brothers again, knowing even the last one was dead now, it hurt, hurt deep. The sense of betrayal was still there, but there was a feeling of regret and loss too, seeing fade away under the dawning sun.

"Kristy... you, you okay?" Ashley asked, hesitantly placing a gently hand on her cousin's broad shoulder; she could feel muscle stronger and tougher than steel bunched and tight beneath the skin.

Kristin inhaled a deep, shuddering breath, wiping her eyes with the back of her hands. "I'm fine, just..."

Her hands balled into fists as she glared around, seeing the dead being gathered, and pain and devastation in the faces of those still living. I came to have fun, to relax, and this happens. I shoulda stayed, I have to go back- She sneered seeing Myfwany fuss over Sarah, who had her hands over her stomach. She knew what that meant. Everyone says they're delicate, but the little monsters are more resilient than anyone gives them credit for, or than they had any right to be. As if it had heard the thought, the fetus gave another kick, the strongest yet, seeming to hit her bladder so squarely, she nearly pissed her pants.

"I just wanna go home, Ash, to the farm and lay down for a while."

"Then that's what we'll do, Cuz," Ashley assured her. She had been affected by the sight of their dead family too, but not as hard. She had begun burying her expectations when they had abandoned her and Kristin, buried most of the rest in Paradise, and the last of them when Simon had left her to go with the spooky little bitch Hana. "Let's go find Mr. Fox."

But when they found him, trying to restore order, though his eyes were clear, his face was wan and pale too, if no less handsome. He shook his head with genuine and rueful regret. "Sorry girls, it's going to have to wait for a few hours, at the least. I'm drained - don't think I have enough juice for even one warp at the moment."

"That's okay, Mr. Fox, I'll... I'll just..." Kristin trailed off, at a loss. She didn't want to be here.

"Uh, if you want, well, you can use my room for a few hour or a few days or whatever," Mark offered the buff, busty, and quite pregnant blonde. They hadn't really ignored him, but Ashley's attention had been on her cousin, and Kristin looked pretty out of it, physically and emotionally. "I mean, until Mr. Fox can do... whatever it is he does and take you back home." He swallowed. "I don't think I'll sleep for a week."

Kristin looked up at him suspiciously, but he didn't look like he was angling to fuck her and tired as she was, she'd still be able to snap him like a toothpick if he tried anything. And he hadn't tried anything when they had been dancing. Most of the suspicion faded as she gave him a grateful nod. "Um, thanks. I'd - yeah, an hour or two off my feet, to give the little bastard time to settle, I'd like that."

Mark led Kristin and Ashley to his room, that looked more like a converted hotel room, small, but tidy and organized, with a tiny kitchenette and a shared bathroom. After a shower, Kristin crawled into bed, knees pulled up and one arm unconsciously curled protectively over her gravid belly, feeling the occasionally kick as she drifted off into an exhausted slumber, hoping she wouldn't dream. After seeing that Kristin was settled, Ashley and Mark left to look for something to eat; plus, Kristin would probably be ravenous when she woke up.

"So, uh... the father..." Mark asked in a roundabout fashion. Ashley's flat, direct look was all the answer he needed, and more than he wanted. "Er, right. Sorry."

Ashley sighed. "Don't be. It's not your fault. My cousin... If you think you like her, well, it's gonna be hard for her to like anybody with a cock, back, You understand?"

Mark instinctively around, looking back in the direction of his room, wondering how any guy could force himself on a girl as strong as Kristin evidently was. Unless, they were super too... "I'm not in a rush or anything, Ashley. Sure, I like girls like her - I mean she's a total bab - I mean <sigh> Yeah, I find her hot and all, but I'd like to get to know her first, before finding out if there's anything to build on, y'know?"

Ashley smiled sadly. "I hope your patient and don't get scared off, Mark. Honest. She needs a friend, a guy friend, who ain't terrified of her or just wants her, one way or another."

[z016]

Gabrielle and the priest had been up all night. He'd been saying prayers over the dead and consecrating the land outside of the already full graveyard as volunteers in shifts dug deep graves and buried the dead. Others were taking shifts making breakfast and doing what they could for the other survivors. Gabrielle had been up healing as she could, both with the gifts God had given her and with words and the comfort of another caring person.

At Hayes, those that had stayed behind and waited for the warp from Fox. And waited. And waited. They worried and prayed as time passed. Quietly, plans were made and discarded, arguments were made and eventually the loudest voices went back to prayer.

In Hawaii, after all the breakfasts had been made, the Hayes contingent joined the search for the bodies and more graves were dug. And they prayed.

[Hammer]

In the daylight the ship became more alive with crew running around and fixing the ship from the battle that happened last night. The new today was going to be a long one. (translated from Spanish)”Okay men two of you fix the chain there is the last down below that should last until we can get something better, we will have to land in more shallow waters then I would like. The rest of you raise the sails and get change hading to the university” (back in English)”Doctor if you could point out on the map to Anna here where the loading docks are that would be great, thank you” At the Benita when to work with the rest of the crew working along side them and helping. Set the cannon back and replace ripped sail and so forth.

Anna a tall slim kinda mousey looking girl all for 21 brushes her hair out of her face and leads the Doc in to the wheel house. “sorry doc but my English is not as good as Benita’s, the maps are over here.” She then flips over the page of the map book so the Doc could point out to her where things where. “Doctor, she will want us to where at last a pistol each on the hip. It is not meant to be rude or scary but we just meant you last night and she does not trust you yet. She does not know if you are just leading us into a trap or something. If you could go ahead and tell you leader that we are coming and she could meet us out side your wall. That way we would all feel better and then you know that we could not hurt any one.” “Once again thank you.” Anna starts to set in her new plot in hopes if they have not found a new home they have found at least a new trading partner.

[Dawn OOC]

Fox looked weary as the day continued. Even he'd worn himself out trying to help people and now he wanted nothing more than to sleep. But people needed him so he pushed on... and on.

He heard Dan speaking while he was still trying to rescue someone caught under a collapsed shed. A grim smile crossed his face; he was glad that the man was stepping up. It gave him hope that if anything happened to him, there'd be someone super to step up and lead the Refuge.

It was hours later before he could finally rest, assured that everyone had been found and received care, whether that was final rites or a hug. There was still a list of things to do, but he took time to find Jules. She was huddled against a wall, her knees drawn up and her fists clenched. After getting her to safety, he'd seen little of her. "Hey, how are-"

"I'm leaving." The words were said with the finality of the resolute. Fox felt his heart sink and he sat down next to her, feeling the sun start to soak into his skin and bones. "I saw Ben. Here. He was here. I can't be here where he was anymore."

"Alright. I'll take you back to Oklahoma." Fox felt even more tired as he said those words; he and Jules had shut things down between them months ago but so long as she was here, he'd had some hope. He liked her; he might love her. But not enough, and they both knew it.

"And I'll go from there," she said.

He looked at her sharply. "Go?"

"I have something I want to do," the native woman told him. "Maybe when I'm done, I can come back."

"I hope so." They were quiet for a moment. "Jules-"

"Please don't," she said softly. "Don't ask me to reconsider."

"Alright." Fox replied. After a moment, he left the warm sun to start helping people. The first on his list was Varro after Ger told him that he was looking for him. Fox took the air and was able to spot the man easily. Landing next to the nova with the silver teeth, he asked, "Ger said you were looking for me. What's up?"

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Lorraine shrugged lightly and said, “No problem, Dan.” Her eyes were anything but light and they settled on Alicia in a very definite way; she was trying to tell him that something was wrong without saying it in front of Alicia. Dan didn’t need that message; he could see she was still shocky. She smiled at his assurances, though she didn’t ask about Marcus’s spirit.

“Are you okay?” Lorrain asked him, taking a closer look at the big man. She could see that he wasn’t physically hurt but some scars just don’t show.

[Anatoly]

The back door of the kitchen area creaked as the better part of Benedict heaved itself in. He looked like a righteous mess, no doubt, with torn clothes, missing flesh, firctionburn to the left of his face slowly healing up. A small length of barb wire got stuck coiled around his left leg and while it tried to heal itself, the barb wire had lodged itself in the way. Gritting his teeth, he pushed his glasses back up on the bridge of his nose.

"For what madness is beheld in the eyes of the devil, when churchyards yawn and hell itself breathes out...or for what it's worth - hell's kitchen."

He managed an unsteady posture, and called out as loud as he could. "Hello? Is there anyone here who hasn't decided to return after a long holiday in the afterlife? Anyone..."

His voice got remarkably less loud at the end of his sentence, as he dropped to the floor exhausted.

[Stargaizer]

Draconis smelled the fires and flesh long before he saw them; that was one of the things that made it turn back. My people... Don't let my people have been harmed while I was away... Its' thoughts trailed away as it got close enough to see the pilars of smoke on the horizion. The animal nature in it raged at having not protected its' people, while the rational hoped that it wasn't as bad as it looked.

Draconis channeled its' animal into a roar, a gout of flame, and as much speed as its' leathery wings would make.

The closer to The Refuge it got, the better, and the worse it looked. The fires were coming from inside the compound, not outside, or around, but the damage didn't seem to be quite as bad as it had feared. Draconis gave the compound a couple of circles around, taking in the scene, and noticed someone struggling to get out of a door. With a serpintine grace, Draconis folded its' wings in and dove head first for the struggling man who had seemed to give up. On the way down, Draconis imploded.

At the last possible moment Draygo opened his wings and righted himself, making a downdraft comparable to that of a helicopter, and still managed to land with enough force to have broken bones in an average person... but Draygo hadn't been an average person in a long time... in any sence of the word.

Draygo walked over to Benedict and, after checking to make sure he was still breathing, used one of his claws to cut the barbed wire that had his leg trapped. Then, as gently as he could, Draygo tried to remove the offending wire. A deep, gravelly voice asked the question of the mind. "What happened?" Whether it was in reference specifically to Benedict's perdiciment or to the general state of The Refuge wasn't clear, but Draygo either didn't notice the ambiguity or didn't care, because he didn't offer any clarification.

[Anatoly]

Benedict's wound recovered remarkably quick once the barb wire was removed that prevented it from closing. Clarity returned to his eyes as he recognized the half-human, half-monstrous face of Draygo close by. "Chased...all night long. Specters, haunts, demons - they should be dead by all reckoning. My parents, my friends, my sister..." Benedict heaved a bit, half a sigh and partially a sob. "Haunted me down all night, up through the desert, they were so...angry, murderous."

He got up halfway, his wounds drawing away from his face like a child's drawing on an etch-o-sketch. "And just like that, crack of dawn they vanished. Managed to haul myself in here, back to safety. Gotta..." he grimaced as the lost flesh of his arm flowed back in place. "We have to check on the others!"

[Stargaizer]

Ghosts!? Zeds aren't bad enough, now we got to deal with ghosts!?

Draygo moved his head side to side and gave a half snort, half growl that showed his dismay at the prospect of yet another undead force that the remnants of humanity had to deal with.

"I'll follow you," Draygo said succinctly and followed Benedict further into The Refuge. Draygo stayed, in case any beings still lingered or they needed his strength. Nathan's time would come with the rebuilding, but for now the still needed Draygo.

[SalmonMax]

"Okay," Sarah exhaled with a huge breath of relief as an ugly knot of tension started to slowly unravel at the back of her mind, "Okay... Thank you. If I had hurt it atop of all the other people I've hurt, I... Right. Things to do and people to help. Cry later."

She rose to her feet and smiled down ruefully at the torn state of her clothing, feeble, brittle humor, but humor none the less, "...But maybe I can get away with darting to my apartment and changing into something not indecent. Can the refuge spare another pair of hands for ten minutes?"

Myfwany smiled and gave Sarah's forearm a squeeze. "Of course. And honestly, if you need to cry now, do it. If you need rest, get it. People will still need help when you're ready, and you'll be a lot more use to them if you aren't bottling a lot of baggage up. And it'll be a lot less stressful for you too, which is good for you, and your passenger."

It was advice she herself wouldn't be taking of course, but blatant hypocrisy was just one of the many tools doctors found useful in giving advice to their patients.

With Sarah taken care of, Myf scanned the crowd and started making her way through it, taking time as she went to try to comfort those who seemed worst off, or who asked for help. She was looking for Fox though, or Dan, or anyone who looked like they were making progress organizing things.

It was going to be a long night.

[Anatoly]

With the reassuring strength of Draygo behind him, Benedict opened the doors, entering the dining hall where currently a hustle and bustle of activity was going on. It seemed the refuge itself hadn't been a safe haven either, but for some reason order was slowly emerging from the chaos, and reparations were made.

With the affirmation that there weren't any ghosts here (for now at least) and people in need of help, Benedict nodded to Draygo. "Look like we're at least in time to help out getting things back on their feet - I will see what help we can offer".

Benedict rushed to find where any of the leaders or caretakers were - they would need boiling water, food and cold towels...

[Karren Gaunt]

Ten minutes to change her clothes turned into a half-hour to shower and into an hour of lying curled on the bed she shared with Dan in their apartment feeling her power slowly reclock from near-zero, hugging herself and thinking about what happened. Some or something had attacked the Refuge in the most personal, violating way possible, dredging up the skeletons from everyone's closet at once and kept it up all night, a power greater than any metahuman or superzed Sarah ever heard of, killing many and leaving the rest shaken to their cores.

The blonde megamorph was very much in the second group, seeing the silent, sullen faces of her ghosts, her victims, everytime she closed her eyes. So many who had died with and without need, every death a survivor with as valid hopes and dreams as herself and perhaps her child if she kept being careful and lucky when careful failed. That last one bothered her almost as much as the currently subsided nausea she had been fighting the whole night. She was going to have to make a choice between her two callings, the old one as a hero and the new one as a... and the thought made her close her eyes and see the image of her parent's ghosts... Mother.

She needed to spend a few more minutes thinking about it, that's all. Then she'd get up, change out of her bathrobe, and get to helping people rebuild. Just a few more...

[Doctor Varroxxian]

In the daylight the ship became more alive with crew running around and fixing the ship from the battle that happened last night. The new today was going to be a long one. (translated from Spanish)”Okay men two of you fix the chain there is the last down below that should last until we can get something better, we will have to land in more shallow waters then I would like. The rest of you raise the sails and get change hading to the university” (back in English)”Doctor if you could point out on the map to Anna here where the loading docks are that would be great, thank you” At the Benita when to work with the rest of the crew working along side them and helping. Set the cannon back and replace ripped sail and so forth.

Anna a tall slim kinda mousey looking girl all for 21 brushes her hair out of her face and leads the Doc in to the wheel house. “sorry doc but my English is not as good as Benita’s, the maps are over here.” She then flips over the page of the map book so the Doc could point out to her where things where. “Doctor, she will want us to where at last a pistol each on the hip. It is not meant to be rude or scary but we just meant you last night and she does not trust you yet. She does not know if you are just leading us into a trap or something. If you could go ahead and tell you leader that we are coming and she could meet us out side your wall. That way we would all feel better and then you know that we could not hurt any one.” “Once again thank you.” Anna starts to set in her new plot in hopes if they have not found a new home they have found at least a new trading partner.

Varro had spent himself, and even with his inhuman stamina the night had been taxing. Usually, he shifted and then copied himself ... doing it the other way around was like being kicked in the head. He'd also not run so many copies right to empty before ... it was possible for them to 'keep going' in cases of emergency but without having reabsorbed them he felt like there were holes in his memory. For that night, he was missing a 'fullness' or recall that his parahuman side somehow expected should have been there.

Minor discomforts aside, he had gotten Benita and her crew squared away. He would also have to get back and help with patients at the Refuge, and when that was in hand - bed.

"No problem. I am sure Fox will understand you carrying some sidearms. Just know that you won't need to use them. We're peaceful people here ... as much as the world allows one to be peaceful these days."

Not that Doctor Shattuck wouldn't have everything under control. It was just that there had been so many injuries. He didn't even know the death toll yet. In the morning light, the Refuge did not look good. There were still plenty signs of the struggle. Such a grim scene that had started out with sweet celebration.

...

Varro said "Benita ... Captain. I am just going to go in past the fence and get Fox. It may be a few minutes, as we had a very bad night here. I'll be back, and the guards there ... they can get you some water. The refuge has some quaranteen restrictions for getting in. I am not sure exactly what they are, as I have never done that job here."

"Just bear with us, OK? Its a good group of people here." ... and with Benita's agreement, Varro headed off to bring Fox ... or anyone else senior ... back.

[Dan Hawkins]

Dan looked up to her, and though he gave no indication by overt gesture, his eyes spoke of a man haunted by what he'd seen. "It could have been much much worse than it was. It was supposed to be a happy night for everyone. I worked so hard, everyone did. And then this happens."

He shrugged. "We will rebuild what was damaged, mourn the lost, and celebrate those who live. That is how we survive. That is what I have always endeavored to see us do."

He looked back to Alicia, wiping her brow with a dry towel, his countenance and features softer than any time she'd previously seen them. It took a great deal to disturb the deep waters of his resolve, and this, seeing her broken again, it was easy to see this was capable of doing so.

"If only I had been faster.. If I'd known sooner.." To what exactly she didn't know for sure, though he'd told her how he'd found Alicia, and she had in quiet nights without him there, shared the pain and hurt in her heart.... Still there was little more he could have done there. The events of the previous evening were even further beyond his control, and He had done everything he could to save lives, to spare torment, and bring light to the darkness.

He didn't look to be the super he was, he looked like a man, bearing up a mantle of responsibility whose weight could be crushing if made to bear it alone. Even that said, he suffered that burden quietly, lest he burden someone else with it..

[Stargaizer]

Draygo followed Benedict. He looked around at everybody who was still trying to pick up the pieces. Uncomfortable as he was just standing there not knowing what to do, he didn't want to just up and leave Benedict.

"I'm Good for lifting..." Draygo bellowed after Benedict, hoping that he'd be able to contribute in some helpful way. "Nathan's good for helping people."

Draygo did his best to wait for Benedict to let him know where he could do the most good and not scare or make it worse for anybody who wasn't used to seeing the dragonman walking around the compound.

[Anatoly]

A quick rush through the compound led to some obvious conclusions - the immediate danger had passed, it was unlikely people'd be lost and still alive, and able hands were definitely needed. It wasn't long before he confided with Draygo: "I think having Nathan helping people would be the best option for now - I am sure that Myfwany and the medical savvy would welcome more help at this point. Either that or making a short aerial recon and making sure no one fled out the compound and is now in trouble..."

He turned to look at Fox, weary but resolute, like the proverbial rock in the river. "Nah, best not to trouble him with things we're smart enough to think up ourselves, ey?" He grinned widely, a wink towards Draygo. In a louder voice he continued: "Best time to get some clean water and some hearty food ready - people're going to be a mite hungry when they wake up."

On his way back into the kitchen he readjusted his chef's hat (never minding its torn-up top) and gathered the used cuttlery and crockery.

[Dawn OOC]

Draygo didn’t have far to go before he saw more that needed his help. A family had barricaded themselves into their house as protection – not that doors and walls had stopped the ghosts. Then they couldn’t get out; when the men of the house had wedged the door shut, they’d failed to consider how they’d be getting out again. He had to break down the door; by the time he was done with that, there was someone else who needed his strength.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Fox was at the center of a large group. Orders were going out; a triage center was first, followed by a soup line so that people didn’t have to stop to fix food. Fox himself had set up on a wooden platform in the middle of town and was easily found. That was why he’d done that, so that anyone could find him.

Benedict found Marcus leading the rallying effort and no sooner had he volunteered than he was working, set to making the soup. It was really bad soup, the cook immediately realized, or rather, very bland soup. It would fill the belly and could be eaten quickly, but it lacked a certain something: flavor.

“A ship?” Fox asked after listening to Varro speak. “That could be useful. Get Myf and check them for the Z, then get them rooms and whatever they need. I’d like them to make this their home port. Round up Jul- Get Ger and take him out there, get them whatever they need.”

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Impulsively, Lorraine stepped forward and hugged Dan. She wasn’t prone to gestures like that, and the super was surprised when she drew back. “That was for everything you do, have done and will do,” she told him, smiling up at him. “Sarah’s very lucky.”

[Dan Hawkins]

Dan smiled. "Thank you Lorraine." He hugged her back gently, and nodded. "I've come to count on your presence, I hope that even with new developments, you'll continue to stay. I know Alicia's been happy to have someone normal to talk too."

He looked down. "I'm the lucky one truth be told, I have all of you to make my days about more than vengeance and killing the undead. I do what I do because I was taught to always protect the ones that are dear to me."

He looked to Alicia, still desolate after the evening's ordeal. "I don't like failing the duty, but I know I can count on the good people around me to help me pick up after my shortcomings."

"It's a blessing to have friends like that."

[Dawn OOC]

“Agreed,” Lorraine replied with a smile. “You know, today was supposed to be All Saint’s Day. The religious folks were having a meal, and so should the Refuge. A meal of Thanksgiving. We had a horror – another horror – get thrown at us, and we survived. So it’s time to pick up and celebrate.”

“We need to know why.” It was the first thing that Alicia had said. “I understood Paradise. I know why that happened.” She shuddered. “But this. This I don’t know. I can’t even understand why it happened. What happened? Did ghosts really come on Halloween? Was this some super trick? Some mean prank?” Her expression begged Dan to explain this to her.

[Dan Hawkins]

"If it was a trick, it was the greatest I've ever seen. They knew each of our memories, the way to get to each of us. The Ghosts seemed to know us themselves, and some seemed just as surprised as us. Some didn't mean harm, it was as though they only wished to see the living again."

He looked around. "We'll find the truth, we have to."

"I've never hard of a super able to do that to so many at once."

He reached down and squeezed Alicia's hand. "I'm sorry I failed you, and everyone else here, again."

[Karren Gaunt]

"So we find out why this happened. And stop it from happening again. No matter what," came Sarah's voice as she came into view from around a corner, dressed for repair work and blade sheathed on her back, expression steely, "Zeds are one thing. Super Zeds are another... But this? Someone or something incrediably cruel was behind it, and if they killed so many of us with as many Metahumans as we have... Any other Enclave hit will fair much worse."

A frown crossed her lips as she looked down, considering the hideous possibilties of this effect hitting more than one Enclave at once, "We need to check the other Enclaves, if this hit them at the same time as us, if this repeats... Zeds will be the least of our problems."

[Dan Hawkins]

Dan nodded with Resignation. He wasn't really up on the idea, especially leaving Alicia. "We'll speek with Morgan once he's had a moment to rest, and organize a plan. and a team."

[Doctor Varroxxian]

Varro gathered the people he needed to gather, looking for Ger and Dr. Shattuck specifically ... and headed back to Benita's group still waiting just outside the refuge fence. Varro had made sure to bring a fluent Spanish speaker along. Even though Benita could speak English, it would make for a welcoming first impression.

He led the welcoming party with a quick pace, and waved as soon as he saw Captain Benita. Coming closer, he said "Sorry to keep you waiting. I had to find the right people, and we have to do a few things in order. Just for safety, they check everyone out for the Z before entry. Standard medical precautions."

Varro added "I think it is safe to say again ... welcome to the Refuge. I think, in this crazy world you'll find no better place to drop anchor."

Varro made the introductions, and started the medical checks. He was still new at the Refuge, so he'd leave any negotiations to the more senior people he had brought along. Still, he wanted to make himself of use, and getting these people checked out as soon as possible would be hospitable ... they seemed to be somewhat weary travelers who would enjoy it here.

[Dawn OOC]

Fox was overseeing repairs near the center of town, making himself available. When Dan walked up with Sarah and made his request, Fox nodded. "Yeah, we do. Gabby's going to want to check on her people and see how they fared. We were supposed to connect with them already; I can only imagine they're thinking the worst." He glanced over to where Jules was sitting on the ground, leaning against a wall. "Let me get Gabby and we'll get her people back to their place."

[Anatoly]

Benedict briefly joined up with Dan and Sarah, wringing a towel he used just seconds ago to finish washing up some of the heavy pots. "I'd be happy to help any way I can. I might not be the most combatready of us, but I can get out of trouble just fine - and that's got to count for something."

The big cook looked around. "I've no idea either what all of this was about, but if Zeds are after food this might've been an elaborate ploy to gather prey. Think about it, if certain fish lure prey with a dongley bit, why wouldn't a Zed learn to use the image of loved ones to pull prey close enough to kill it." Despite himself he grinned. "Of course that step two is where the difficulty would be. We can only hope it was a solitary trick and not the start of a new bloodline."

[Dan Hawkins]

Dan nodded and looked to Sarah and Fox. "Are you going to gate us to the other enclaves quickly or should I go get a humvee ready so we can take it?"

[Karren Gaunt]

Sarah smiled graditude at the chef, glad someone seemed to make it through the night with their cheerful dep intact. His words did touch upon some of her worries very closely, the thought a Super Zed *could* wield this much over even one Enclave. Failing to find the monster behind this would be... No, they simply had to find the monster as quickly as possible. The next settlement hit might not have the same luck in discovering the odd weaknesses in the illusions.

"I say we go as quickly as we can, if a new Super Zed was using this as a cover to take down and drag off victims, our chances of finding it fall with every minute we waste," she added fiercly, fear and determination battling in her eyes.

[Dawn OOC]

Fox nodded. “I’m going to check on Oklahoma, Columbia and Christmas City, in that order,” he said. His voice was weary, but he didn’t shirk from doing his duty. “Jules, get yourself together.” The pretty woman nodded and rose to her feet, heading for her quarters. “The rest of you have ten minutes. Someone go get Gabby and tell her people.”

Five minutes later, the warp opened up in Oklahoma, to the relief of the people there. A quick report confirmed that they had experience the same issues as the others. Jules was left there with her companions, dog and three horses. The same thing had occurred at Columbia and Christmas City. After they had been to all of them, Fox asked, “Where did you guys want to start?”

[z016]

"First, I think we should consolidate as many of the enclaves as are willing. Fox, you and I were already making arrangements for that." She glanced around at the others. "I don't know the other enclaves, but greater numbers means a higher chance of survival. Both from more hands to help and from bringing together as many of those like us," she motioned around to the people that had developed powers since Z-Day, opting for a diplomatic stance instead of using her own descriptors - Jack had been making suggestions, "into one place to help protect the enclave and share our gifts."

"Something like this....should it happen again - or something similar - it would be best to have everyone together and a plan in place." She nodded to herself then looked back up to the group. "That's where I would start."

[Dan Hawkins]

Dan looked to Gabrielle, inwardly he winced. Great all we fucking need, the religions wackos to return. I thought we were finally free of those idiots. "Consolidation could have hurt us even more. There would have been even more specters, and likely even more casualties. The Refuge is something of a freak when it comes to the number of Supers within it's bounds. most have far less, if any at all. Perhaps we should try to locate an Enclave that did not have Supers, and see if they dealt with this as well." That the attack could be something related to the presence of Supers had to be explored.

[Dawn OOC]

"Christmas City had no supers," Fox reminded, "and Gabrielle's people were without a super. I think the thing we need to face is that this was an event that seems to have occurred everywhere and we have no reason to believe that it was directed or caused by supers. Stopping them certainly didn't require super powers." He took a deep breath and said softly, "We might be looking at something different altogether. Another kind of power-user." He didn't say it, but it was clear that Fox was concerned about the idea.

[Karren Gaunt]

"I'd rather exhaust our options for simpler explainations before we start embracing wilder ideas, running headlong into a new dark age of ghosts and superstitious terror of the dark. An extremely powerful super could have done this, and that should be our primary theory looking into it. To do anything less would be unworthy of everyone who died to get us this far. We have to thrive, not merely survive, in mind, body, and soul, to prove ourselves truly human," Sarah countered grimly, badly frazzled at how many people had died to this attack, an attack not only on bodies, but rationality as well. Behavior like this could be poisonous to Mr. Morgan's new begining, and she would nip it in the bud.

She frowned, a growl of frustrated anger entering her voice as she flailed for an example of the kind of foolishness this could lead to, "I refuse to believe this attack is without a rational, human-based answer. I won't believe we're helpless and need to... to.... to start offering milk to faeries to keep them out of our homes."

[Anatoly]

Benedict stood there smiling - anger, the most Human reaction, that which made survival possible. He thought of his options. "We can speed things up if you want, establish a shorter line of reconnaissance." He turned to the Supers. "All I'd need would be one or two smaller portals instead of a big one and a clear, concise target to look for. If you can somehow open and close portals rather quick, I should be able to send in some scouts."

[Doctor Varroxxian]

Having finished medical checks for the new arrivals, Varro came upon the group. "Hello everyone. Couldn't help overhearing. Though I agree we shouldn't jump to conclusions or act rashly, there is still plenty that science doesn't know. We shouldn't exclude possibilities either, and we need to gather more data."

"I had an idea, actually. Before I came here, I found that I could teleport to certain places I'd been before I got this power. Not everywhere I'd been, but spots that really live in my memory. Mr. Fox, if you are up for it ... I'd like to try taking you to St. Paul's cathedral in London. Once I get us there, then you can open a gate for a proper party. If this ghost effect happened as far away as England it will add support a worldwide scenario. If not, then we have narrowed it down to a more local explanation."

"I visited the Cathedral as a child. Honestly hope it came through this. I could also do a flight down to the Vatican from there. Maybe there is something that the Church knows ... they might have been keeping secrets. I'm still a Catholic, even though I haven't been to Mass in ... a long while. Last night actually got me thinking about all that again."

[Dan Hawkins]

"I'm with Sarah, Morgan. We need to figure out what happened. I had enough of the witch and warlock tripe with Violet."

He was worried, because if Magic suddenly was truly real then it was something they had little defense against.