Aberrant: Dead Rising - Home [Complete]

[Dawn OOC]

This takes place during Grease Monkey, when Cassie teleports away after giving Ira tacit permission to sleep with Violet. This story is about what Cassie does, and what happens to her while she's gone. For RP notes, she's gone about an hour.

The house in Oklahoma hadn’t seen any living guests since Ira and Cassie had fled it days ago. The sudden pop of displaced air was loud as Cassie appeared on the roof, her unnatural grace allowing her to keep her balance on the sloping peak. Sniffing, the young super looked around to be sure she was safe, then she hunkered down, pulling her knees to her chest. For a long moment, there was just the sound of lonesome sobbing as the distraught girl struggled to deal with her emotions.

Gradually, Cassie realized that this place stank of death. The Watcher’s body was still here, in the attic, and she frowned, sad at the thought of him rotting away like that. Abruptly, she decided to bury him. It would give her something to do, and give Ira time… to do what he wanted to do. She pulled her thoughts away from the images that were playing in her mind, of Ira with Violet. The thought hurt her, but she took the pain. When it was done, she’d have Ira still. Violet would not be so lucky, once she saw the fulfillment of Cassie’s words. Her mind made up, she eased her way down the roof to the top of the porch, then put her legs over the overhang and dropped the rest of the way. She automatically folded into a roll as she hit the ground, displacing the shock of landing.

The Watcher had to have a shovel somewhere around here; it took a couple of minutes for Cassie to find it in his messy shed. She finally chose his neglected garden as the place to bury him; the soil was already broken there and it should be easier to move it around. Setting her jaw, she stubbornly started to dig. She did well until she hit clay; then her digging slowed down, and each shovelful became a grunted effort.

A sudden tingle of warning preceded the sharp pain as someone grabbed her shoulders and tossed her into the wall of the house. Cassie flopped to the ground, crying out in pain as she rebounded onto the stone walkway that surrounded the house. Blinking, she looked up at her attacker, trying to teleport away. She saw Void’s mocking face as she failed to blip away; of course Void would block that power from her.

“Oracle,” Void said, her pretty face angry. Her creamy skin was pale under her freckles, even for her, and her red hair snapped in the wind wildly. “You’ve been a bad girl.”

Cassie shook her head and crawled to her knees, feeling sore and stiff already from the toss. “Wolves shouldn’t attack Knights,” she said as she started to gain her feet.

Void stepped forward and grabbed her hair, pulling her the rest of the way up. “Oh, your boyfriend killed mine, huh, is that how you fuckin’ wanna play it?” As Cassie whimpered from the hair-pulling pain, Void pulled her into the open area in front of the house and pulled out a flare gun. She shot into the air, then leaned in to hiss to Cassie, “You’re going home, babe. And guess what? We’re going to glued to the hip.”

SHE’S PREGNANT. SHE WILL HAVE A DAUGHTER, THE FIRST OF A NEW PEOPLE, A POWERFUL CHILD.

The voice cut into Cassie’s brain and she was compelled to speak. As always, her glossolalia kicked in, and to her endless frustration, she said, “You’ll have a puppy, a great dire wolf.”

Void stared at her in shock, then released her just long enough to back hand her. “Don’t you use your magic on me, witch,” she hissed as Cassie tumbled into the dirt, her jaw pounding. “Thanatosis may think you’re the shit, but as far as I’m concerned, you should be burned at the stake.” Void spat on her as Cassie held her aching jaw and tried not to cry.

The rhythmic stutter of an approaching helicopter distracted Void for just a second, and Cassie took advantage of the moment. Scowling, she kicked the other woman in the knee, feeling no pleasure when it dislocated. As Void collapsed, screaming and cursing at her, Cassie staggered to her feet and ran. She had to get away from Void, get out of her area of effect, and then she could hop home. Never again leaving Ira’s side sounded so good; at this moment, she’d gladly watch him have sex with Violet if it meant never being separated from him again. He was her Knight; it had been dumb to leave him behind.

The ravine behind the Watcher’s was her goal. It dropped off quickly and would allow her put a lot of distance between her and Void. She didn’t trust that the injury would slow her for long, and a quick glance back revealed that the other super was up and chasing after her. Cassie felt despair as she ran; Void healed even faster than before.

The copter circled overhead before dropping down to hover and block her path. Cassie didn’t slow down, not even when one of the men leaned out, trying to grab her. Instead, she threw herself under the chopper, rolling under the landing gear and out the other side. The ravine was only feet behind that, and she just kept rolling, right over the edge.

The steep slope turned her controlled roll into a wild ride, throwing her down the hill at unsafe speeds. Her head was cradled behind her arms as she spun down to the bottom, bouncing off small rocks and sage brush. Neither was enough to stop her momentum, and she rolled all the way across the dry creek bed, crashing into an old fence.

Groaning, she stared up at the spinning sky and tried not to throw up. Focusing her thoughts, she blocked out the helicopter, which had no doubt picked Void up and was trying to get her back within range. It was too late, though, and Cassie pulled herself back home. Home was where she felt she belonged, so she appeared in the last place she’d seen him, on the floor of the garage, next to the Up-chuck. “Greetings,” she murmured, smiling at his concerned, spinning face as he bent over her; then she passed out, that happy little smile still on her lips.

Ira was here. She was safe. She was Home.

[Ira Sagebrush]

Ira had watched Dan go out to meet the distraught 'woman' and was more than happy to let him.

She's your freak now, buddy.

Sex on the brain, worried about Cass, and far from tired, Ira attempted to distract himself by downing a Gatorade and some candy bars from his trunk. Having finished those, and there still not being any sign of Cass, he regulated himself to getting the car ready. He was more that determined now to leave this place as soon as he could. The place was packed with freaks on long leashes.

Some time passed as he worked on the car, the concern for his Lady mounting with the ticks on his watch.

Where did she go? How far can she blink anyway?

No sooner had he dropped his torque wrench and started pacing, when she appeared.

Originally Posted By: Cass

“Greetings,” she murmured, smiling at his concerned, spinning face as he bent over her; then she passed out, that happy little smile still on her lips.

"Cass!" Ira exclaimed, hating himself for making her go as he looked over her bruised and battered body. She was covered in dirt. Twigs and leaves were tangled in her torn clothing and hair. What wasn't filthy, was bruised, scraped or cut as she appeared to have been tossed into a ravine and left for dead.

When she passed out, he panicked, assuming the worst until he confirmed that she was, in fact, still breathing and had a heartbeat. Nearly beside himself and on the edge of tears, he scooped up her small form, trying, and failing to avoid obviously injured areas.

Not again, not again, not again, god dammit, not again!

"Help, somebody! Help!"

[Dawn OOC]

A couple of minutes of frantic shouting brought a woman who gaped at the limp girl, yelping, "Oh my god! What did you do to her?" Such was world of Zombigeddon - even in Fox's Refuge, people were still willing to believe the worst about people.

In his panic, Ira didn't really understand what she meant. "Help me! I need a doctor!"

The woman hesitated, then made a decision. "Clinic's this way," she said, pointing and pushing on his shoulder. With pushes and pointing, she directed him there, then left him at the door to get some security down here.

Ira hurried in the door, making quite the entrance with the motionless waif in his arms and nearly in a full-blown panic. He spotted Singh almost immediately and pushed to his side. "Dr. Singh, help!"

"Yes, Eye-ra, be calm," Singh said, whipping out his stethoscope and pointing at a bed. "Put her there, please." Ira set her down then hovered as Dr. Singh did his magic. When he straightened up from his exam, he looked concerned but not agiatated. "She will recover fully, Eye-ra. She is badly bruised and I believe that she has a broken wrist, which I'm sure Dr. Shattuck will heal rather than subject her to a cast." He frowned. "But from the marks on her face, it is clear that someone hit her. Eye-ra, what happened? Who did this?"

His manner was non-judgmental, but Ira sensed that manner would change rapidly if he thought Ira were responsible. As if to contrast his open-minded stance, members of Ger's security force showed up at the door, their attitudes assuming that everyone in the room was a potential enemy.

[Ira Sagebrush]

"Now wait a freakin' minute there Doc," Ira answered, his panic quickly turning to defensive anger in an attempt to vent itself somewhere, as he saw the commandos show up. "What are you implying? She just appeared like that!"

Ira's head was moving quickly back and forth between the Doc and Goons, instinctively moving to a position in the room that gave him a better view and escape avenue.

"Call off the Mod Squad, Doc. This could get real ugly."

Never had Ira wished for the security of a gun more, but in a rare moment of rash thinking, he had left the rifle he had picked up last night at the garage.

[Dawn OOC]

"Everyone, stop," Dr. Singh commanded. Doctors were important enough now that they carried some weight, just on their own status, and Security slowed their progress. "I did not call them, Eye-ra."

"A woman told us that some kid had an injured girl, thought he'd hurt her," one of the guards said. "We have to check out reports like that."

"Something would have to be very wrong for Eye-ra to hurt Cassandra," Singh said soothingly. Turning back to Ira, he said, "Please, elaborate on what you just told me. She just 'appeared'? Appeared from where?"

[Ira Sagebrush]

Ira paused a moment as the situation diffused some. He glanced about as he took a couple deep breaths.

"She can...blink..." Ira said, waving his arms around in frustration at a loss for the right word.

"Wait, I got it!" he added, his expression lighting up with the idea. "Like in Charmed, the demons...she teleports! That's the word...she teleports. When that damn purple-eyed slut came onto me, Cass left, when she came back just now..." he finished, holding his hand out at Cass's form on the bed.

[Dawn OOC]

"Wow, that is amazing," Dr. Singh said, smiling wistfully. He grew more somber and directed Ira to a chair. "Please sit and let me work on her. Thank you, Mr. Security Men, but Eye-ra is no danger." Dr. Singh firmly waved them away and planted Ira where he could watch them, then turned to Cassandra.

Half an hour later, Singh finished adjusting the brace on her wrist. "I'll find Dr. Shattuck. She will probably wake up soon; if she does, just talk to her and keep her calm." He gave Ira a reassuring smile and left him alone with his Lady.

[Ira Sagebrush]

As soon as the Doc had left, Ira moved his chair over to Cass' side, gently taking her braced hand as he talked to her sleeping form.

"I'm so sorry baby. I don't know what happened. I couldn't help myself...that woman is a freak. Please don't do that again. No way anything she was offering could be better than what you've given me baby." Ira lamented, kissing her hand and resting his forehead on it.

"My Knight's joust pierced the wooden duck and found it to be uncomfortable?" Cass whispered, her violet eyes gazing up at him.

"Heh...um, no piercing baby." Ira said, his head coming up quickly as a large smile spread across his guilty face.

"Quench the desert sands..." she murmured, gesturing to her mouth with her free hand.

"Of course, baby."

Ira quickly got up after gently setting down her broken wrist on the bed. He spotted a pitcher along with some Dixie cups and returned to her bedside after filling one.

She winced as she tried to sit up, accepting Ira's silent offer of help to sit up before taking the cup and drinking.

[Dawn OOC]

While she was sitting up, it seemed natural for Ira to move in behind her, putting his back to the wall and letting her lean against him. She fit against his legs like she belonged, and his arms circled her gently. "I'm... sorry," Cassie whispered, the effort of talking normally clear in her voice.

"Shh, baby, you didn't do anything wrong," he said, willing to say anything at that moment.

"I shouldn't have run from you," she murmured, turning her head toward him.

"Oh, that, yeah, that wasn't so hot," Ira agreed, kissing her temple.

She twisted further, showing off her unnatural grace again as she looked him in the eyes. "Violet is a blazing bonfire; how did you resist her flames, and why do you prefer my tiny night light?" Cassie's eyes were a little confused, a little hurt, but mostly, she was honestly wondering how he could resist Violet's extreme charms.

[Ira Sagebrush]

This was a world of harsh honesty, where one day the person you were having dinner with yesterday was trying to have you for dinner. Ira had long ago given up on placation, but he didn't want to hurt Cassandra either as her emotional stability seemed fragile at best.

"Well, baby...your Knight's armor was too much for even the succubus to peel off. Though she did manage to flip the visor...we kissed I mean."

Christ! Startin' to sound like her.

Ira shook his head as he explained, "That bonfire was too hot for my tastes baby...though eerily similar to my nightlight. Bonfires burn hot and fast. Then you wake up with a hangover and wonder where the hell you are and why you're laying in a pile of ashes."

"Nightlights provide comfort and security, keeping away the zombies under the bed, burning steadily and just strong enough. Lasting as long as you are willing to keep them around and give them a spark. And when you wake up...they're still there emitting that steady radiance."

[Dawn OOC]

"You are apple pie," she told him, smiling at him, her eyes sparkling. She shifted a bit more and kissed him. Again, he noted that it was oddly familiar to Violet, but since he'd kissed Cassie first, it felt like she was the 'original' and Violet was the imitation. James would probably feel the opposite - though James would get to kiss Cassie about the fifth of Never, as far as Ira was concerned. When the sweet kiss broke, she snuggled in against him. "She was created to burn hot and consume all who touch her," Cassie added, looking sad. "I am glad that my knight was not one so taken by her heat and smoke.

"I will shine for you, Knight, as long as I can," she told him. "And I will not pull myself from your side again - the goblins are too thick in the shadows."