middleofsomewhere | The Will to Fight: Conclusion

The battles rage loud and ferocious at the gates of the city and off in the ruined wastelands of Erda, and on the walls a struggle of a different kind occurs. The team who stayed behind at the towers are small but determined as they move stoically across the walls to right the stones that have become misaligned, even as their friends battle not too far away.

The city begins to hum. It's a quiet hum, not loud enough to be heard out where the others are fighting but it vibrates even through stone. The recovering monks assure them that it is done, the wards are back up and no demon will be able to enter the city.

Eventually the battle is won, all three battles. The demons fought back and killed, a major blow to their gate system that will keep them back for hopefully a long time. Those waiting in the caverns return to the city and by the time they get there the illusions are gone. Everyone can see the world for what it really is.

But despite the ruins of their world the people are relieved, the adrenaline of the fight coursing through their veins and the mood is one of hope. They will build again, their people will survive.

All Voidtreckers please return to the Voidtrecker Express. Departure will be in a few hours

It has landed not too far from the city, cloaked to make it unnoticeable to the citizens, for all the good that does. No one has been particularly subtle this last week. People can begin regrouping, packing up the camp and getting any wounded not already healed to the train.

However roughly half an hour later another message appears on their SCA.

Passenger Persephone has requested we remain on system System #86525656412355 for an additional day to further assist the people of Erda. The Voidtrecker Express will depart on the morning of Day Fifteen of the month of Kazoo.

The train remains where it is, so the voidtreckers can use its facilities. There is definitely a lot that can be done to assist those of this world and the citizens will welcome any helping hands.

After an extra day they finally depart, returning to the void once more.

(OOC Note: Once the wards are up any characters who are demonic in nature will not be able to enter the city either!)

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"Do people die very often on missions?" It seems like one death in a battle like that seems like... a very good number, actually.

"No." She shook her head. "I did only be hearing that it did be happening twice before."

And she had been one of the first to step onto this train. "There do be being a lot of healers."

Which was good, because some of the monsters they fought were ridiculous.

"And I probably would've been fine, if not for this thing." They tug gently on the strap to their lantern, nose wrinkling up a bit. "I need to figure out something better to keep it safe, I think."

They haven't actually told Buttercup yet what their lantern is, have they? Oops.

"You do be needing to be keeping it safe?"

No she had no idea what that was. She figured it was important to them. They never were apart from it. But why would it need to be kept safe?

"Yeah, that." Right, they probably ought to explain. At this point, it seems kind of silly to keep it a secret, particularly since they do trust Buttercup more than a lot of the train. "I'm technically dead, Buttercup. The reason I'm still walking around anyway is this lantern. My life force, my energy, my soul-- whatever you want to call it. It's in there. Damage to the lantern damages me. One of the demons managed to get crush it. That's why I died."

They were dead?

They weren't the only dead person on this train so that didn't actually surprise her very much but the rest... Their soul was in that lantern?

Somehow their soul was outside their body? Yet they walked and spoke just like a normal person. But if the lantern was crushed their soul was crushed...

"That do be being a huge weakness." They probably already knew that. But carrying around their soul... The lantern looked so fragile...

And this is one of the more utilitarian lanterns from Beacon, a sturdy metal contraption straight out of the World Wars. It's even been modified with metal shutters to block out and protect the light. But knowing it's the only thing keeping Soldat alive means it's still not sturdy enough.

"Usually I'm good about keeping it protected," they promise. "This is the first time since I got it that it's actually been damaged to the point of killing me." Well, the grenade probably did maybe, but that killed their body, so it's kind of hard to tell. "But I still ought to find some way to protect it more. Maybe one of the magic people will have some idea."

"Yes you should be asking them." She's not got much of an idea about soul magic. Honestly she's still stuck on souls being outside the body.

It's a worrying thought. "They might be being able to be protecting it more."

She wrinkled her nose.

They're still kind of stuck on it even being a soul, but they've had enough time to get used to the idea of it being in the lantern. It's not like they'd remotely considered souls or energy or anything as HYDRA's assassin-- it was just one more thing in the long list of scary things, at the time, and they'd gotten accustomed to it along with having to make decisions for themselves and actually talking.

"Maybe. I don't know a ton about magic, to be honest," they allow, shrugging the lantern strap back over their shoulder so it hangs behind them. "Or, I guess, about the lanterns really. I never did go into the lab where they were made."

"They did be being made in a lab?"

She tilted her head, "You should be asking Peter then. He do be knowing things about science and labs. Or mister Stark." She wrinkled her nose. She had spoken to him now, but was doing her best to stay out of his way.

They're not going to put that kind of responsibility on Peter. Besides, it's less a chemical kind of science, they think, than an engineering one. Or a metaphysical one. If Stark is anything like his father, then he'd be the one.

But there's problems with that, too. Soldat sighs a bit. "I'll think about it. Ask around. The science on Beacon's world was-- weird. Compared to science on the one me and Peter and Stark come from."

She nodded and frowned slightly. "I do be hoping you do be finding someone. Because it would be being good for it to be being more protected."

Dying was stupid. They shouldn't die and so making it harder for them to do so would be better.

They hold open the kitchen car door for her, at last. It's gonna be food time! "I will, promise." And that's probably that, for now, until they do some asking around. For now: "Want to get me some fixings for some sandwiches while I get the plates and drinks out? Pick your favorite toppings."

"Yes." She nodded, "I can be doing that."

She can, she hurries off towards the store carriage to find things for sandwiches, trying to remember what she knows he likes as well as her own favourites.

The Will to Fight: Conclusion

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