What They Call Us

Ronan

"Ronan, I can't...Breathe," Kei gasps in his sleep.

I tilt his neck back to allow air into his lungs but it doesn't seem to be working. Worried, I try and wake him again, shielding his airways from the gas with my jacket.

"I-I gotta get him out of here," I say, glancing at Gemini.

I stand and carry him out of the tent until I feel his body relax and limp in my arms. I stop then and drop where I stand, setting a hand on the side of his face.

"Kei? Kei, it's okay now. Just take deep breaths," I tell him, "Deep breaths. Open your eyes for me, Kei."

Ingrid:

Roe shielded my body with her own, protecting me from what was going on. Holding onto her for dear life, I tapped into her memory of this so far.

Roe doesn't like Sooth? Why?

"Ingrid," she whispered to me, still holding on, "We need to move to the other side."

"No!" I whispered back, "Sooth won't hurt us."

I felt her body tense, and I rest my head on the crook of her neck and whispered, "Don't leave me alone."

Raising my eyes, I caught my first glimpse of Sooth's dad, and a scream pierced through the air. My scream. I held tighter to Roe and yelled "Sooth!!"

My power went crazy when it noted y fear, and peoples' memories came flashing, disappearing, new memories added. I screamed at the pain of some of the memories. They hurt.

Shutting my eyes tightly, I stopped screaming when I heard Roe starting to sing something to me. My powers calmed.

Opening my eyes, I looked to Roe and whispered, "It's so cold."

Looking to the people on the other side of the room, I immediately felt guilt for pullng up their memories.

Roe

"I won't leave you," I said, holding her close to me to keep her warm. "You have to coe with me. Sooth is not going to protect you." I concentrated on all the fear in the room, and I pulled it out of the other people and onto Sooth. I imagined him running out of here like a scalded cat, while everyone else stood their ground and took down the ghost, and a smile played across my face.

Ingrid:

"Roe....Sooth won't hurt us. We're on his side. He won't. He wants to help me. He won't hurt us!"

Atarin

"What are you doing?" Lacie gasps as I work to control her fear. Sooth's father moves closer to us and Lacie screams. I feel her body shaking behind me. I concentrate and grip her wrist firmly. I utilize as much monoamine oxidase as I can muster in her body and break down large quantities of stress hormones. C-six, H-thirteen, N O-three. I cannot concentrate enough to tackle cortisol, since the dark presence is advancing, but I feel Lacie relax a bit.

I hear a rustling sound and spot vines curling around her ankles. Looking up again, I see the small boy being taken outside by his brother. I curse my lack of concentration. I had let the argon dwell too near the others, and allowed Sooth to get some air.

"Help me, Lacie," I say through clenched teeth. "Nothing works against this ghost, so we need to go for Sooth. He is its son. It is our only hope."

Lacie

"W-What? I can't fight him, He'll..." I trail off, the vines growing tighter. My eyes start to tear up a and I swallow.

Without thinking large vines wrapped around the guards surrounding Sooth and pulled them into the air, leaving Sooth un-guarded. I look over at Atarin, relxing a bit.

Roe

"Roe....Sooth won't hurt us. We're on his side. He won't. He wants to help me. He won't hurt us!" Ingrid tried to convince me.

"Listen to me," I said, taking her face between my hands. "Sooth is not doing anything to help anyone. You know Kei and Ronan, right? The two brothers who showed up last night? Sooth seperated them. He turned Lacie against Sol. He wants to seperate us." I pointed at the ghost. "See that? Sooth brought it here. Why would he do that if he's so good?" I pulled at her emotions, trying my best to break and emotional connections with Sooth and reinforce the ones she had with me.

I coughed, and Ingrid seemed short of breath. "There's not enough air over here," I said. "Come on." I stood up and tugged on her hand.

Atarin

Lacie wraps vines around Sooth's guards, incapacitating them and leaving Sooth wide open. I squeeze her arm appreciatively and give a quick smile. Then I face the ghost.

"Go back where you came from!" I shout. "Go back, or I swear I shall kill your son!" I hold up the lighter. Sooth is obviously losing the battle with gas. His cool demeaner has been replaced by a mask of dismay and rage. I smile again, this time with real humour. "Go back!"

It feels as though a sudden weight has lifted from my shoulders. The air clears, and the temperature rises rapidly. I feel my strength is somewhat depleted, but combine the oxygen, carbon from Lacie's plants and remaining dregs of hydrogen to form ether. The anaesthetic gas enters Sooth's lungs and within a few seconds he passes out.

Sooth

I blacked out from the gas. Then, when I woke up, I was lying there on the ground. I was surprised by being alive.
"I caused the children to flee once they had attacked you," my father explained. "They left, trying to escape, but the guards overpowered them"
I stood and brushed down briskly. I touched my wrist and activated the knock-out gas. They dared attack me! Me! Now I'll show them... they underestimated me... I was quivering with rage, I could feel something inside of me shifting, altering my ability... no matter. Now, revenge.
"Summon my guards," I barked. "Kill everyone in the camp, save my guards. Time for a change of sides... the goverment will be interested in this"
My father hesitated.
"Is that wise?" He asked.
"It is necessary"
I hurried away from camp, calling my personal bodyguards to me.
"Set fire to the camp," I ordered. They, like my father, hesitated. "Do it!" I snarled, feeling all the angrier. The fury was all-consuming, destructive, and felt so, so good.
Once I had left via the front gates - there was nobody to stop me - I saw the plume of smoke rise behind me.

Spoiler

Before you chew me out, I have an idea, as this camp thing was doomed to end, Rocky. Kay?

Solstice

Atarin and Lacie finally managed to tackle and take down Sooth, as Roe and Ingrid made their way to our side. Gem had already accompanied Ronan as he left the camp, while I stood, trying to concentrate energy to my feet, Whatever Atarin had done was making me feel dizzy, and had added to the tiredness I felt from trying to dispel the undead form of Sooth's father.

As Sooth collapsed, so did I, tiredness finally overcoming me from my short attempt at keeping his father at bay. I felt hands pull me up, (OOC: Could be anyone, but I was thinking Lacie and Atarin since they're the closest) and drag me out, as my mind driftedto darkness.

Kei

"Kei? Kei, it's okay now. Just take deep breaths," Ronan tells me, "Deep breaths. Open your eyes for me, Kei."

I struggled to open my eyes and looked up at him. "I feel so weak. I need to stay away from Sooth or I will be alone again," I cry.

Atarin

I curse myself repeatedly as more refugees collapse around me. Lacie helps me to drag a girl with streaked hair outside the tent, where we fall to our knees, coughing and spluttering. The small boy and his brother are also outside, along with several other mutants retching and gasping in the snow. I stagger over.
"I might be able to help," I say. The older boy looks suspicious, but allows me to place my hands on the little one's chest and draw oxygen into his lungs manually. His breathing eases and I feel a little less guilty.

Suddenly guards appear from everywhere, shouting and baring weapons. I groan. I do not have enough energy to face more threats, and the surrounding gas resources are scarce. Screams rent the air and I have to do something. Kneeling, I draw my lighter for a final effort and thrust my hand into the snow. But before I can initialise a reaction, I spot a man taking aim at Lacie with a rifle and without thinking, throw myself in front of her. The bullet tears through my shoulder as I thud into the ground. Hot blood runs over my skin. I see more guards overwhelming the defenceless refugees, but am powerless to help. Then we are dragged into a large room, dropped, and I hear a heavy bolt slide into place. We are trapped. Lacie kneels beside me and starts to say something, but her eyes fall closed and she collapses to the floor, along with the other refugees. Silence reigns, and I spot a small trickle of smoke curling under the doorframe.