middleofsomewhere | Not with a Bang Start and Ongoing

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Not with a Bang Start and Ongoing

"Good Morning passengers. Today is day seven of the month of Imagination." The voice echoes through the train as passengers wake up in their beds. Not long afterwards their SCA’s glow with the colour of the void and a holographic image will appear.

Preperation

They have about an hour to prepare, a little less than usual but perhaps expected, given the urgency of the task.

The cupboards in the dressing room are open to reveal rows of tents, in all four team colours as well as some basic camp cooking equipment. They are in bags that should be easy enough to carry.

"Shortly arriving on System #6416. All passengers get ready to disembark. Next stop world 6416. Exit from void in ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one." The train rocks and lurches, bright colours of the void filling the space and then fading as they fly downwards towards a very green landscape.

Arrival and Initial Task

The train lands in a clearing, curving round in an attempt to fit. Once everyone who wishes to disembark has done it flies back into the air, vanishing from sight.

The air is heavy and humid, though it is not currently raining. The clearing is open to the sky and looking up will reveal a worrying sight. The sky is an angry red colour, colours shifting as if the clouds themselves were on fire. It's an unnerving sight.

Their SCA's show three points, one Orange, One purple and one that is half blue and half red. The three control centres. Each are a few hours treck through the jungle and it certainly feels like there is no time to waste.

Those that don't want to treck through the forest can start setting up camp, though the darkening sky might be a little distracting. As time goes on flecks of fire drift down, though they extinguish before hitting the forest floor.

Orange are to travel to the north, Purple to the south and Blue and Red must travel together to the west. Each route takes them through thick and unrelenting jungle. Flying is difficult here unless you can get up past the canopy layer, which means vision of the ground is severely hampered.

The control stations themselves are half buried in vines and require cutting into. If voidtreckers are unlucky they will meet their first security robots here, firing on the intruders. They might even meet their first giant Armadillos, the creatures are curious and may wish to investigate. They are not helpful or constructive to trying to power up the stations and prevent the destruction of the planet.

The control stations are simple enough to operate, but there's quite a lot that needs to be done in way of repairs and clearing. It will take a team effort to get it in working enough order to activate the shield.

The shield itself, when it is activated, is mostly invisible but there is a loud humming sound. The meteor, which has gotten more visible throughout the five hours, hits the shield and splinters, fire enveloping the whole sky. It is visibly terrifying, but no fire falls to earth, no rocks get through, the planet is safe.

Ongoing

Once the planet is safe the voidtreckers deserve a rest. But once the next morning dawns it is time to start with their next tasks, to make sure that this planet stays safe from future threats.

Red

The robots at the control stations are not the only malfunctioning security robots around. They roam the jungle, or are more often stranded in the jungle, powering up only when faced with a new threat.

Some are benign, terraforming machines whose only crime is using up precious power. These need to be dismantled so that power can be saved for the shield system. Others are security robots that will attack the intruders to the planet.

Though the machines are scattered they are often obvious, emitting warning alarms or flashing lights. Their SCA's will show some areas where there are larger clusters but machines can be found anywhere.

Purple

Their SCA's are filled with hundreds of purple dots, each a solar stations that needs cleared and brought back online. It's not the most glamourous job, the stations are deep in the jungle, the treck is difficult and most of the work needed is weed clearing.

But once the weeds have been cut away they will need to patch up the station, doing basic maintenance to get it back online. In some cases wires need to be patched back together but it shouldn't take any great feats of engineering to get the stations up and running.

They may run into some of the security automatons, needing to fight their way into the stations before they can begin the clean up operations.

Orange

Like the red team their SCA will show areas where there are clusters of the small insectoid automatons that need to be rescued and restored. However they can be found anywhere throughout the jungle, they are not too suited for the terrain outside of the stations and so they have gotten tangled in vines. They can be found powered down, stranded and in dire need of maintenance.

Tools and spare parts can be found in many of the solar stations that purple team have been locating. Actually repairing the robots takes some engineering knowledge but once they are restored they will go about their tasks in the stations. They will need help getting to the further flung stations as well as the main control centres.

They are very basic in design and follow pre programmed instructions rather than being able to hear and listen to orders. But once in the correct place they are very effective at their job.

Blue

Once the shield is up there is a faint humming that can be heard throughout the jungle if they listen closely and find it among the sound of rain and insects. But once they hear it, it is obvious where it is louder and more prominent.

Their SCA will pin point some of the larger control boxes but there are truthfully too many to show on a map. Not all of them have attracted Violet Pandas, but many of them have.

They are curious creatures, both of the power boxes and the voidtreckers. They are protective of each other but not so much of territory and therefore it is not difficult to move them on. Keeping them away is another matter, the power humming is interesting and they will unearth wires and chew through them. It doesn't seem to do them much harm, there is clearly safety stops in the system for such eventualities. It does however cut power off to entire solar stations and require a lot of patch work.

Good luck voidtreckers!

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No accent.

Long, blonde hair.

That voice. Angel.

Ran registers these things through the scream of pain from her leg, snaps them into place like a puzzle piece into the larger picture. On instinct, without thought, she scrabbles for purchase on the undergrowth around her, drags herself back inches as Vermouth advances, eyes pale on the woman's face.

No.

No.

She forces herself to still. It's hard to have logic right now, hard to think at all, but she fights for it. If this woman had wanted her dead, she would have done it back then, wouldn't she? Would have killed her to get to Ai, who she'd obviously wanted to shoot. Wouldn't have tried to frighten her by shooting bullets into the concrete on either side of her, wouldn't have screamed at her to move.

Certainly wouldn't have dropped the machete now -- would have plunged into Ran with the ease that she'd done with the robot. Would have -- could have -- ofted her any number of times on the train. Wouldn't be hurrying towards her, saying her name.

It doesn't mean that the woman is safe necessarily. But harming Ran doesn't seem like her priority.

(Though . . . protection is?)

"You're . . . not Sharon," she manages. She's pushed herself up against the vine-covered wall, mostly in a sitting position. "You're from before . . . That time with Ai-chan."

She slows her advance as Ran begins to struggle away, uncertain if it is from pain or fear. However, Vermouth doesn't stop, can't stop until she knows Ran will be all right. She's halfway there when Ran finally speaks.

Ah, shoot.

Vermouth stops in her tracks, eyes wide for a split second. Then she eases back into a concerned expression.

"I don't know what you mean, Ran, but I can assure you that I am Sharon." The second half is at least true...ish. She still doesn't bother with the old accent as she continues, "My name's on all my things, remember? Would the train use the wrong name?"

Ran's mouth sets into a line at that response before she looks down to examine her leg. Her expression is not unlike Shinichi's, uncompromising -- some things cross between people. "I remember you. That moment with Ai-chan . . . how could I forget?"

Nearly being shot, that voice demanding, then screaming at her . . . it's carved into her mind. She can only question herself for why she hadn't recognized it earlier. It seems so obvious now -- something she should have heard beyond the accent.

Her leg is bleeding, the skin burned and raw from the energy blast. She presses her lips together more tightly; the sight of it turns her stomach.

"You're not who you pretended to be. Or not just that."

Vermouth knows all too well that Ran hadn't forgotten. How else would the high schooler pick up her identity while in disguise from just one slip up? But she also couldn't tell her the truth. Endangering her that way... that would be a sin even Vermouth refused to commit.

She sighs. "Oh Ran, are you sure this is the time for this?"

Slowly, she starts walking again, the gun lowered at her side but still in her hand. There is a purpose to her stride, slow but steady.

"Put it down." Ran's eyes are on the gun, her voice sharp and short -- somewhere between demand and pain. While she doesn't think the woman means to hurt her, she's not 100% definite, and she's certainly had her share of surprises already on this train. "If you don't mean me any harm, put it down before you come any closer."

"It's time for something, even if it isn't everything right now."

She comes to a stop again. For one tense, drawn out moment, Vermouth weights her options. To the outside observer, it might feel like at any minute that gun might be aimed at Ran.

Then her eyes close, and she settles into a half-hearted smile. Slowly, Vermouth crouches down and places the handgun on the grass.

"Better?" As she stands back up, she comments, "I'll need that back before we go."

Since clearly there are hostiles about.

"Sometimes even a little is too much."

Tension recedes in Ran's chest as the woman sets the gun into the grass, the long fingers of it easing around the muscles. That confirms it further: Whoever this woman is, whatever she's capable of doing, she doesn't mean Ran harm.

Why, though, is anyone's guess. Especially when Vermouth seems to hold no similar qualms about others.

"Sometimes it does something for helping other people trust you, though," she notes with a small, short nod, confirming that the woman can come closer. "And you need me to trust you now, right?"

"Do I?" Vermouth asks, letting the question hang in the air. Honestly it might be better if Ran didn't trust her, even if it would be painful to distance from her again.

"Right now it looks like you need me, whether you trust me or not."

There's another sharper look at that first reply -- because honestly, it feels like playing games for the sake of playing games, like it's a habit that can't quite be shaken. And Ran doesn't want to play. Sharon is a good deal in question right now; Ran wants certainties, solidities, not games.

There's blood on her leg, though, and she can't deny that she needs some kind of medical treatment -- likely sooner rather than later. "Maybe that's true," she concedes, trying to shift to a better position. "But somehow I think you'd like me to."

The games probably are a habit at this point, one build out of a need for survival. However, in this case, she is doing it to protect Ran. The last thing she needs is for her special someone learning too much.

Vermouth has gotten much closer by now, but far enough out of arms reach. She crouches down, trying to get a better look at Ran's leg.

"I rarely get what I want." And despite the wordplay and mindgames, her expression looks just distant enough that Ran might realize that at least was truthful. "Perhaps it is better this way."

Those words bring a blink -- because Ran does sense that they're meant. She doesn't resist Vermouth leaning down, doesn't make any sudden moves . . . only studies the woman's face, brow furrowed slightly. This is a woman willing to kill, who makes light, who plays games with her words . . . but also a woman wanting to protect -- at least when that comes to Ran -- whose words speak to some bitterness about life, even as much as they still deflect. "I know you're willing to hurt others, but I don't think you're willing to hurt me. Why?"

She doesn't move away, twisting just slightly to try to give Vermouth a better look -- though the movement brings a sudden hiss between her teeth. There's definitely blood where the laser sliced through the skin; it seeps through the edge of her shorts and down her thigh. However, it's also a burn, seared by the laser's energy, the skin reddened and angry, already starting to blister.

Vermouth's face sets into something more serious as she looks over the wound. Unfortunately, she isn't carrying first aid, not usually the type to apply it even to herself. For the moment, they should at least cover the wound and stop the bleeding before finding a medic.

Grabbing the edge of her polo shirt, Vermouth lifts it up just high enough to bite it, forming a small hole. She doesn't seem that preoccupied by just how much of her torso shows while doing this, but then again this is Vermouth, the member who holds phone calls in nothing but a bath towel. With that done, she rips the edge off, making a rough but functional fabric strip.

She is just about to start the actual bandaging when Ran poses her question. Vermouth closes her eyes. Yes, once again Ran's instinct hit far too close for comfort. Something in Vermouth refused to harm Ran. Leaning in to start wrapping up the wound, she offers a cryptic yet honest answer.

"Because... You're the only angel who ever smiled on me."

That answer invites still more questions, and Ran's eyebrows knit, watching the woman tear her shirt and wrap Ran's wound. When would she have smiled at Vermouth? The only time she can remember seeing her is that time before with Ai; she certainly wouldn't have smiled then. She's smiled at her on the train, of course, but that can't count; this sentiment was in play well before they were on this train. Something about the way that Vermouth says it, too, gives Ran the feeling that it was some time ago.

Ran's memory for faces is excellent. She rarely forgets. And more than that, Vermouth, particularly in the homogenous country of Japan, couldn't possibly help but to stand out.

"When?" she asks the other woman, too distracted to even protest that Vermouth has torn her clothing to help her. "I would remember . . ."

Her brow furrows further. "'Angel' -- you called me that back then, too. Why?"

Answers from Vermouth tend to have that affect. Ah well, if Ran hasn't connected the dots yet, she isn't about to push it.

"Oh, you probably wouldn't. It was quite a while ago." Roughly one year ago, more precisely. More importantly, Vermouth was disguised as a random serial killer at the time that Ran saved her. Even if she remembered that particular incident, it would be tricky to connect it to the same woman who threatened Ai.

"Why?" Well, in part it had to do with the conversation they had when she was Sharon. However, Vermouth can still answer somewhat honestly without bringing it up again. "Because you're so kind."

Ran hasn't connected any dots yet, but she'll certainly be rolling this conversation through her head later, trying to remember, trying to look for meaning.

"How . . . would you know that?" Because that indicates that whatever their interaction was, there was more to it than a mere greeting. She's done something that means something to this woman. Maybe it was idle on her part, habit. But plainly whatever it was, it had meant something.

A small flush of pink. "Not that I'm claiming that I am."

Vermouth finishes wrapping the make-shift bandage, tying the strip tightly so it doesn't slip until a doctor or other medic can see to the wound. It might hurt a bit.

She might not give an exact answer, but Vermouth smiles nonetheless. "How could I not? You show your kindness to everyone around you, even people you've barely met. It makes you shine. I've never seen someone so genuine, so caring. Always the first to reach out a hand to someone in need. Even when they don't deserve it."

Like Sherry. Or herself.

The strip is definitely tight, and it does hurt, but although Ran winces as Vermouth ties it, she doesn't complain. The pressure will help stop any bleeding, and Vermouth is right to do it as she does. It's just something that Ran will have to bear. "I think that's good."

Pink seeps into her cheeks with the compliments. They're effusive -- at a level that confirms that she's done something to impress this woman . . . though she still isn't sure what that could have been.

"What did I do for you?" The question is, for once, plain, bare.

"I'm glad." Vermouth swiftly moves from her crouch to a standing position. She offers a hand to Ran, in case she needs it. "Can you stand?"

Ah, cutting right to it now. Unfortunately for Ran, Vermouth isn't one to provide answers in a simple manner. For her Angel, though, she will offer some good hints.

"You proved there's some good still left in this world."

This line of questioning plainly isn't getting her far, inviting more questions than it's gaining in terms of answers. Vermouth is answering, yes, and Ran senses that she's been truthful in what she's given, but what she has given has been like turning a faucet on a drip -- there's more power behind it, but only droplets are squeezing out.

"I'll try . . ." She accepts the hand, because genuinely, she's not sure. The practice of karate has given her a very tuned sense of her own body, and her leg does not feel fully viable.

Still . . . how are they going to get out of here if she can't walk? Leaning her weight more towards one side she attempts to pull herself up with Vermouth's aid -- then promptly gasps as fire sears through her leg, forcing her back.

She's determined to try again, though, and readies herself for another go. "I do need to know one thing," she says, nudging herself into a better position. "Even if you can't -- or won't -- tell me a lot about yourself. . . . I need to know if you're aiming to hurt anyone else. Conan-kun, Ai-chan, or Sera-san especially. That's important to me."

It's not all she wants. But it far outweighs her own desires.

As Ran falls back, Vermouth is already moving to crouch again. "Don't overdo it if you cannot." Sure, she can't leave Ran here injured by herself, but there are still options. Her mind is ticking through various ways she could pick up the high schooler. Some would be challenging, but doable. The tricky part would be getting Ran to agree.

Yet still, Vermouth looks caught off guard by Ran's request. The momentary surprise flickers to something more bemused, possibly even amusement. However, she answers without much hesitation.

"I have no plans to harm anyone on this train."

Whether Ran believes her smooth, easy tones, well... no one could blame her for doubting, really. Yet the answer is, surprisingly, true. Vermouth wasn't the type to go looking to cause harm without reason, and so far she had no outstanding quarrel with the other random passengers. Cool Guy was the other person beside Ran that Vermouth would go out of her way to protect, and she'd already promised multiple times not to go after Sherry anymore. Given how well Yukiko had bested her on the train... well, it would be downright distasteful to try an attempt on Ai now. And Sera, while a possible issue, wasn't a threat yet. In fact, so far Akai's sister had proven far more useful alive and well, and Vermouth didn't want to risk that information source yet.

The answer is straightforward -- surprisingly so, given previous responses.

But.

That expression?

Ran puts off her second attempt to get up again for a moment, looking up at her. "I want to believe you . . . but. You're almost looking amused that I asked?"

That's hard to be fully at ease with.

Vermouth blinks for a second, surprised at being called out, even so gently. Not angry or offended, but surprised.

"Do I?" she asks, the question more rhetorical than anything else. Amusement was one of the few emotions that she displayed freely, even in times when it masked her true intentions. However, her expression does ease into something softer. "My apologizes, Ran. You aren't the first to make that request."

. . . That means someone else did. Someone here.

But who?

Obviously those who came from her world are the most likely suspects. They're the only ones who would possibly know Vermouth, know her background. Given Vermouth's tendency to not reveal much, that's likely the only possibility.

And the most likely of all of those . . . "Conan-kun?"

He is bold like that. Sometimes too beyond his years, too adult -- enough to make such a request (demand?) of an elder. It's surprising, but . . . definitely not outside his realm, either.

She wants to come back to that, but there's still the other matter at hand, and it weighs more. "I'm making it a request." She presses her lips together. "I know that might not mean anything at all. Maybe it even sounds funny that I would try. But."

Blue eyes shift up to Vermouth's face. "Please."

Vermouth gives a mysterious smile at Ran's guess, the closest thing to a 'yes' she might get. Truly, Ran was remarkably observant. Worryingly so. That said, she wasn't about to admit that it was more of a forced truce than a request.

She looks at Ran, long and hard. Others might assume that the hardened criminal would find her plea funny or sad. From a different person she might, but this was Ran. Like it or not, she couldn't just brush her aside. And so Vermouth's mind comes to its inevitable conclusion: yet another promise.

"I should warn you, nothing good happens to people around me." Hurting those around her came far too easily for Vermouth. Even if she didn't attack them, she had a nasty wit and humor. And if she meant them the best, the Organization could destroy them just the same. "But very well," she concedes. "I will honor your request."

While she cannot be certain what will happen, for Ran she will try.

She offers her hand again.

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singlefaith - 2021-01-17 04:37 (UTC) - Expand

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secretmakesawoman - 2021-01-18 02:49 (UTC) - Expand

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Not with a Bang Start and Ongoing

XD;

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Let me know if you need me to change it

It's perfect.

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1/2

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