06-09-2014, 10:00 PM
The shooting hadn't let up for more than an hour. Nicholas was still in his spot atop the command post, still dealing out death through the lenses of a borrowed pair of binoculars. He'd never felt so exhausted in his life. It wasn't the type of thing you got from a long workout, his body wasn't sore in the least. But at the same time, he felt weak. If he sat down he doubted he could get up again, if he closed his eyes longer than to blink, he wouldn't be able to open them again.
He'd probably killed hundreds of people. The mental clarity that comes arm in arm with the power was the only thing propping him up from the guilt. The Custody VTOLs were supposedly only a few minutes out, but Nicholas didn't have the time to think about it. He had to stay focused. The tiredness was creeping in, sapping his concentration. It was all he could do to keep killing. Any attempts at smoke and mirrors had died a while ago.
A cluster of explosions, so close together that they almost sounded like the same one, were the result when he was just a little too late to destroy a nest of RPGs that popped up behind the wreckage of a plane. His eyes darted to the site of the explosion, and were greeted with the sight of several dismembered legionnaires. Most of them were still writhing on the ground. It was exactly the kind of thing he'd always planned to avoid seeing in person. Funny how that never seemed to work out.
Nicholas wished there were some way to heal them, but it seemed magic only worked to destroy or dominate. He was going to have a hell of a time selling it to the... it winked out of his grasp just as the first of several VTOLs came into view overhead. Without the power, it was like the floor dropped from under him. He blinked, and he was picking himself up off the floor. He only made it to his knees before the ground started looking very welcoming. He was sure the loud noise around him wouldn't be a bother once he closed his eyes.
Then Reed was right next to him. "What's wrong?" She asked, before turning to plant a few rounds in some unfortunate rebel. The simple act of talking to him brought him back to reality somewhat.
"I..."
Nicholas's mind wasn't quite there, yet. "This really sucks."
He tried to push his way to his feet, but couldn't muster the strength. He looked up at Reed, very aware of how helpless he must have looked. "Help me up?"
She obliged, and with her help he was standing again - for the moment. Nicholas didn't trust his legs just yet. Reed grabbed him and forced him to look at her. "You're not answering my question. What. Is. Wrong? I've never seen you like this before."
"Ever run two marathons in a row?"
Nicholas could just barely keep his eyes open. He was surprised he could form coherent sentences. "It's like that, but worse."
"You're tired?"
"The award for understatement of the year goes to..."
Nicholas stumbled again, only keeping his footing by grabbing Reed's shoulder. He looked at her. "I've been doing this for hours, Reed."
"Granted, I can't quite say I know what it's like to be a wizard." At Nicholas's gesture, Reed started pulling him away. He couldn't think up there, with the bullets flying in every direction. "But if you're tired after a couple hours of billowing smoke and shit, we need to get your ass in the wizard gym, kid."
"Noted."
Nicholas was getting weaker with every step. If he didn't seize the power soon, he'd be out. Reed managed to get him down from the top of the command post, and was half-carrying him to a more covered area nearby. "I just need to - to think. I'll be fine once I get control again."
"I think you need a nap, kiddo." She hefted his weight on her shoulder, making it easier for her to help him along. She wasn't short, but he was still several inches taller than her. Her mocking tone changed to something that could almost pass for motherly concern. "This the first time you've gotten tired like this?"
"Yes."
He signaled for her to let him down. He needed to concentrate, and they were as well insulated from the fighting here as they would be anywhere. "It's like I can barely think."
Reed must have seen something, because she snapped back into battle mode. "We shouldn't stay here long." She was crouching nearby, keeping her eyes on the fight unfolding around them.
He didn't respond, and instead set to work finding the power. Clearing his mind was easy enough - he was so exhausted there wasn't much going on in there anyways. The light was dancing around the edges of his mind. It was like a hallucination on the periphery of his vision - look directly at it, and it disappears. He felt like he was back in that seedy apartment in Zamoskvoreche, or at his home after the interview with Nikolai Brandon. Almost there, but... nothing. Then he had it.
He drew more deeply than he had all night, and strength filled his limbs again. He clawed his way to his feet. He could think again. It was like being dunked in cold water. "Alright Reed, let's get back up there."
He took a deep breath, and sighed. "It's not over just because the VTOLs have landed."
Reed was right behind him. "Alright. I wonder if this wizard thing can kill you."[/color] He looked at her, and she shrugged. "Interesting thought."
They hadn't made their way far from the post - just to a small depression next to some empty crates. "One I don't want to consider right now."
He was about to turn back around and keep going, but what he noticed behind her made him force her to the ground with threads of air. Nearly two dozen rebels were charging towards them, and more were crawling out of the ground behind them.
Bullets started landing around him, cutting into several unsuspecting legionnaires facing the other direction. He felt a whole herd of mules kick him at the same time. Nicholas didn't have the time to dive for cover, so he threw everything he had into demolishing the men trying to kill him. A wave of fire swept out in front of him. The shooting from that area stopped abruptly, but he was already on his back.
Three hot coals were embedded in his flesh. He tried to lift his right arm but it wouldn't work. People always liked to say that in the heat of battle, you didn't even feel it when you got hit. They were lying bastards.
He'd probably killed hundreds of people. The mental clarity that comes arm in arm with the power was the only thing propping him up from the guilt. The Custody VTOLs were supposedly only a few minutes out, but Nicholas didn't have the time to think about it. He had to stay focused. The tiredness was creeping in, sapping his concentration. It was all he could do to keep killing. Any attempts at smoke and mirrors had died a while ago.
A cluster of explosions, so close together that they almost sounded like the same one, were the result when he was just a little too late to destroy a nest of RPGs that popped up behind the wreckage of a plane. His eyes darted to the site of the explosion, and were greeted with the sight of several dismembered legionnaires. Most of them were still writhing on the ground. It was exactly the kind of thing he'd always planned to avoid seeing in person. Funny how that never seemed to work out.
Nicholas wished there were some way to heal them, but it seemed magic only worked to destroy or dominate. He was going to have a hell of a time selling it to the... it winked out of his grasp just as the first of several VTOLs came into view overhead. Without the power, it was like the floor dropped from under him. He blinked, and he was picking himself up off the floor. He only made it to his knees before the ground started looking very welcoming. He was sure the loud noise around him wouldn't be a bother once he closed his eyes.
Then Reed was right next to him. "What's wrong?" She asked, before turning to plant a few rounds in some unfortunate rebel. The simple act of talking to him brought him back to reality somewhat.
"I..."
Nicholas's mind wasn't quite there, yet. "This really sucks."
He tried to push his way to his feet, but couldn't muster the strength. He looked up at Reed, very aware of how helpless he must have looked. "Help me up?"
She obliged, and with her help he was standing again - for the moment. Nicholas didn't trust his legs just yet. Reed grabbed him and forced him to look at her. "You're not answering my question. What. Is. Wrong? I've never seen you like this before."
"Ever run two marathons in a row?"
Nicholas could just barely keep his eyes open. He was surprised he could form coherent sentences. "It's like that, but worse."
"You're tired?"
"The award for understatement of the year goes to..."
Nicholas stumbled again, only keeping his footing by grabbing Reed's shoulder. He looked at her. "I've been doing this for hours, Reed."
"Granted, I can't quite say I know what it's like to be a wizard." At Nicholas's gesture, Reed started pulling him away. He couldn't think up there, with the bullets flying in every direction. "But if you're tired after a couple hours of billowing smoke and shit, we need to get your ass in the wizard gym, kid."
"Noted."
Nicholas was getting weaker with every step. If he didn't seize the power soon, he'd be out. Reed managed to get him down from the top of the command post, and was half-carrying him to a more covered area nearby. "I just need to - to think. I'll be fine once I get control again."
"I think you need a nap, kiddo." She hefted his weight on her shoulder, making it easier for her to help him along. She wasn't short, but he was still several inches taller than her. Her mocking tone changed to something that could almost pass for motherly concern. "This the first time you've gotten tired like this?"
"Yes."
He signaled for her to let him down. He needed to concentrate, and they were as well insulated from the fighting here as they would be anywhere. "It's like I can barely think."
Reed must have seen something, because she snapped back into battle mode. "We shouldn't stay here long." She was crouching nearby, keeping her eyes on the fight unfolding around them.
He didn't respond, and instead set to work finding the power. Clearing his mind was easy enough - he was so exhausted there wasn't much going on in there anyways. The light was dancing around the edges of his mind. It was like a hallucination on the periphery of his vision - look directly at it, and it disappears. He felt like he was back in that seedy apartment in Zamoskvoreche, or at his home after the interview with Nikolai Brandon. Almost there, but... nothing. Then he had it.
He drew more deeply than he had all night, and strength filled his limbs again. He clawed his way to his feet. He could think again. It was like being dunked in cold water. "Alright Reed, let's get back up there."
He took a deep breath, and sighed. "It's not over just because the VTOLs have landed."
Reed was right behind him. "Alright. I wonder if this wizard thing can kill you."[/color] He looked at her, and she shrugged. "Interesting thought."
They hadn't made their way far from the post - just to a small depression next to some empty crates. "One I don't want to consider right now."
He was about to turn back around and keep going, but what he noticed behind her made him force her to the ground with threads of air. Nearly two dozen rebels were charging towards them, and more were crawling out of the ground behind them.
Bullets started landing around him, cutting into several unsuspecting legionnaires facing the other direction. He felt a whole herd of mules kick him at the same time. Nicholas didn't have the time to dive for cover, so he threw everything he had into demolishing the men trying to kill him. A wave of fire swept out in front of him. The shooting from that area stopped abruptly, but he was already on his back.
Three hot coals were embedded in his flesh. He tried to lift his right arm but it wouldn't work. People always liked to say that in the heat of battle, you didn't even feel it when you got hit. They were lying bastards.