Things I've never seen before, behind bolted doors

[k39zzz]

The disconnection of the Warehouse zipline had more consequences than anyone realizes, yet. When it fell, it knocked several Artifacts off of the shelves. Some are relatively benign; others, not so much.

One of them would be benign, if it hadn't fallen through an air vent and broken open on some delicate machinery.

Deep in the bowels of the Warehouse, gears jam, groan, and grind to a halt. The energies the machine was meant to keep in check begin to build up, slowly at first, but with increasing speed and intensity. If they reach critical mass, the consequences will be... less than pleasant.

Meanwhile, on the main Warehouse floor, a wooden door propped up against a column in Toronto sector--a door labeled "Fixture #768898D, 'MILLIWAYS' DOOR"--has been jostled open.

Comments

[frmthebeginning.livejournal.com]

Hoffman suddenly-inexplicably-wanted his gun.

It was a sudden strong urge that swam through his gut as he put his hands out and looked up.

He grimaces. No sense not being cautious. And here I thought I'd seen everything this place could throw at me....

He takes a step back-heedless of what might be behind him, turning to look at the door.

[makesthings]

He steps into Sameth who curses since that was his foot,

"Charter, watch it. Is this your world?"

[frmthebeginning.livejournal.com]

"..Sameth?"


"No." He eyes the knife, "You have any other weapon on you? Some kind of projectile weapon or knife?"

[makesthings]

"Its not a knife, its a spell and I'm wearing a knife,"

That doesn't actually answer Sameth's question though,

"Do you know where we are?"

[frmthebeginning.livejournal.com]

Mark's reply is a loud curseword. Somewhere, the pope dies.

"A knife? A fucking-"

He jerks. Did he hear something? Anything?

His senses may be a little haywire.

[rorypond]

Maybe he heard Rory?

His sneakers aren't terribly loud, but he appears to be rushing towards them.

(The door didn't open when he turned back to get it.

It's left him a little ... alarmed.)


"Um. Right -"

He stops by the two men.

"Hullo. Would this odd space be part of either one of your world's?"

[frmthebeginning.livejournal.com]

"Not mine."

Though it could be. Straightening, Mark glances from the right to the left, "...Goddamnit. You armed kid?"

He assumes he's a kid. He's got sneakers.

[makesthings]

"Not mine, it would have more stones,"

Sameth turns to Rory, at least there's someone else who's kind of sane.

[rorypond]

Bollocks. He has no idea what traveling into another complete stranger's world means - particularly where the getting back part is concerned.

"Armed?"

Rory frowns.



What exactly does that -

"What do you mean?"

[frmthebeginning.livejournal.com]

"Some kind of weapon." Mark looks up, "This is a dark, crowded place with no discernable signs of life. I don't really want to go farther into it then I absolutely have to."

He turns, looking for the door.

[k39zzz]

The bouncing noise just got a lot louder and less regular. Two people--a man with short black hair and a slender woman with long, wavy brown hair--run across the lane through a set of matching gaps in the shelves.

They're followed by... dodgeballs. lots and lots and LOTS of dodgeballs.

[makesthings]

"Um, they might be able to help,"

The balls are really orange and just don't look right either.

[rorypond]

"- what the -"




Okay.

Well, at least that confirms the sound of bouncing rubber.

(Dodgeball. His faaavourite sport.)

"I don't think any sort of weapon will be useful against those things," he points out uselessly.

Now would be a good time for running, right?

Yes?

[frmthebeginning.livejournal.com]

Mark can't answer. When one of those went by it whacked him on the back of the head. Staggering, he looks furiously in the direction of the bouncing balls, "....I dunno, I can think of a few things that'd be useful."

[k39zzz]

Two of the dodgeballs linger behind, directly in front of the three newcomers. They bounce up and down in a regular rhythm, as though being dribbled by an invisible basketball player.

[makesthings]

"What's making them do that?"

Its fascinating in a worrying way and Sam takes a careful step towards the balls.

[rorypond]

"Er - I don't know, but it'd better stop."

Soon-like.




It's creepy.

Aaaand ... now that blonde bloke is walking towards them.

Has he never played dodgeball before? Those things hurt when you get pegged in the face.

(He'd know.)

"Oi - wait. What are you doing?"

[frmthebeginning.livejournal.com]

Mark's only response is to grab Sameth by the arm, "Don't touch them. Listen, we stick together there's less of a chance we'll get hurt by something in this place alright?"

He sounds concerned now.

[makesthings]

"Careful. I wasn't going to touch them. I just wanted to see how they work,"

It takes him a moment to refocus on the spell in his hand.

[rorypond]

Rory frowns, eyes shifting from the bright orange rubber balls to Sameth's hand.

... he isn't sure he likes the sight of that either.

It's very ... alien.

(But probably safer than the dodgeballs.)

"Sticking together ... yeah. Um. That's probably a good plan."

[k39zzz]

Shouting can be heard from the direction the man and woman ran. It's too muffled to be comprehensible, though.

[makesthings]

"Maybe we could try helping them. They might know how to get out of here,"

Sam doesn't like this, he hates not understanding.

[rorypond]

"Help them? Help them how, exactly?"

This isn't even any of their worlds.

Who knows what sort of rules they could be breaking right now?

"I mean, I'm all for it. If I knew what to do."

[frmthebeginning.livejournal.com]

Mark closed his eyes and let instinct take over. It had been awhile since he'd had to deal directly with civilians-they weren't the easiest people to deal with.

At least he wasn't Eric. Eric liked to berate. Mark reached for calm and drew out the confidence that had won him the medal for courage. He looked behind him, "I'm a cop all right? That means that I'll keep you guys safe okay? We'll help if we can but the first priority is ourselves."

He glanced to the left, "I want each of you to try arming yourselves. There's nothing to worry about. Sameth-you're covered, but you-" He looked at the sneakers kid, "Grab something and try to use it."

He glanced to the right and spotted a large stick. Grabbing it, he hefted the weight in his hands for a moment before-


The air above them opened, small dark clouds gathering like an anxious herd before rain-actual rain-began directly over Mark.

"Jesus-fucking-"

He dropped the stick to the ground and the rain stayed-drenching his suit and his tie.

[makesthings]

When Mark starts talking, Sameth looks towards him and a ball whacks him in the side of the face,

"Ow, but we don't know what's here."