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]

"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."

[k39zzz]

(And now there are three dodgeballs bouncing in front of them.)

[rorypond]

... which makes it terribly unfortunate when - similar to Sameth (was that his name?) - Rory makes eye-contact with the profane police-man.

One of the rubber balls in front of them slams into his side.

It winds him for a moment.

"Brilliant," he wheezes.

[k39zzz]

(Dodgeball count: 4.)

[frmthebeginning.livejournal.com]

looking in the direction of the balls, Mark is slammed in the chest by a ball.

Wet, unhappy. and attacked, He screams, "Move!"

[makesthings]

Sameth sends his spell at one of the balls and hopes that it works.

[k39zzz]

The thing is, the dodgeballs might be considered "spells," as well. And the nameless energies that make an Artifact an Artifact, with no neutralizing system to keep them in check, react very poorly to the introduction of outside magic.

The ball doesn't merely deflate; it explodes in a burst of purple-white light. So do the others, in rapid succession. Purplish lightning arcs across the corridor, searing everything it touches.

[rorypond]

It is to Rory's credit that he doesn't scream like a little girl.

(Even if he might be very tempted to.)

He does give a rather impressive yelp and immediately goes to the ground, arms over his head as though it might protect him from the explosion of light.

[frmthebeginning.livejournal.com]

There was a small burst of thunder overhead as Hoffman dived to the ground and began to crawl. Just treat it like an exercise...

He rolled, one of the beams soaring over his head before moving toward Rory, "Are you all right?"

[makesthings]

Sameth's not able to move out of the way soon enough and so one of the beams hits him on his raised arm.

It's not quite as bad as the necromancer's spell, but feels like a horrible burn and he drops to the floor, clutching his arm and cursing.