With an extra pair of Ivy's gloves on his hands, Specter tried his best to check her pulse. Of course, he was no doctor but he's read enough anatomy books that he probably should be one. He didn't think the raven-haired woman was dead by any means, but a pulse says a lot about someone's condition. Was she just unconscious? Going into shock? Was she dying? But, no matter what he could have told from her pulse, he couldn't feel it through the fabric. He cursed under his breath as he carefully lifted her head and prepared to try and lift her off the ground. His gaze shifted around toward the others, in particular Vlad and Hawke, hoping one of them would help him. Spec had virtually no muscles, but Vlad could probably carry them all on his back no problem.
He was getting aggravated that no one rushed to help him get her up and Spec was about to shout out to them to help him, but a sheepish voice broke through the chaos in his mind. [ I have to help her. ]
[ Hanne, no! ] Hawke's voice rang through his head.
"Stop, don't!" Specter reached out his hand to stop her, but he wasn't fast enough. The blonde had already raised Ivy's sleeve and wrapped her hand around the unconscious girl's wrist. He sat there in silence, with his hands out expecting to catch Hanne or do... something, although he wasn't sure what. After a moment, his gaze fell to Ivy as her bruises slowly faded away going from rich purple and blue to a faded yellowish green.
[ That's enough. We have to move. ] The words came flying into Ivy's mind like plane passing overhead. It was far and distant before it came crashing in, loud and abrupt. She shot up where she lay, nearly slamming her forehead into Specter's. Her eyes fell when she felt a sensation she wasn't used to. Just as Hanne's grasp on her wrist released, Ivy pulled her arm back quickly out of impulse. Her eyes were wide and breathing heavy as her gaze darted between her wrist, Hanne's hand and her own wounds that weren't entirely healed but felt a world's difference than they did mere moments ago.
Specter let out a sigh of relief when she awoke, even if it was a bit abrupt. As she seemed to be getting her bearings, Spec took the gloves that he shoved in Ivy's pocket and as quickly as he could manage, slid them onto her hands. She looked over at him, a corner of her lip quivering slightly in a very brief smile of thanks.
"Th—" Ivy began to say toward Hanne but was cut off when Hawke quickly lowered himself beside her.
[ Are you okay? You'll have to wait until later. ] Hawke asked Hanne. He then carefully managed to pull her sleeve back down over her wrist before he slipped his arms around her. Ivy's left arm draped across his shoulders carefully while her right reached out and grabbed the discarded pair of gloves that no one picked up. Then with Hawke's help, she got to her feet. Once standing, she leaned on him for support. Although Hanne worked her magic, Ivy's head was still spinning and they didn't have the luxury of letting her rest for five minutes.
Vlad took a step backwards when Novak came at him with their hands outstretched toward his gag. He settled slightly when they did so and watched in silence as they seemed to focus. After a second or two he heard something inside the mouthpiece break before it fell off his face. "Opening an interdimensional portal into solid matter seriously compromises its structural integrity," Novak replied to his silent shock. They seemed all too impressed with themselves, their grinning stretching from ear to ear. "Now go wreak havoc."
His hand rose, rubbing his face where the guard once was. He closed his eyes momentarily as he rubbed and stretched the muscles of his mouth. Vlad almost laughed at the stubble upon his jaw, prickly to the touch. It wouldn't be a surprise to him if he looked like some sort of wolf man without the gag. He rarely got a chance to shave due to that thing being waterproof so he had to literally wear it into the showers. Whenever he behaved well enough they would give him a shave. Of course, men gave them to him with sound canceling headphones that often nicked him more than once. He went to speak, finding his vocal cords weak from little use and his voice dry. Vlad cleared his throat and tried again, "Thanks." Not something the man said often, if at all... But, this was one time he was truly thankful.
With a brief moment as Novak conjured their portal, Ivy's gloved hand reached out to grasp Hanne's shoulder. The blonde hovered cautiously around her, no doubt waiting for her to need assistance again. "Thank you," she said quietly. Ivy half expected to wake up strapped to some cot in the facility, hearing about how the rest of them escaped. She wouldn't have blamed them, and no doubt the torture they would have put her through would have made her a vegetable. Someone who needs help but can't have any skin-to-skin contact is a burden... But they helped her. Hanne, Hawke, all of them. They didn't leave her behind and if they all weren't about to die walking out of those doors, she might have cried.
Specter jumped slightly when his arm was grabbed and he was pulled toward someone. For a brief moment, his heart sank and he thought that they were caught before they even got out of the cellblock, but then he turned to be faced by Novak. He sighed in relief. "I'm going to open a portal to two floors down, a little further down the hall. I need you to go ahead in front, keep a lookout for guards. Hawke, you take the girls with you after Specter. Vlad and I will go last." He nodded his head. It made sense for him to lead, out of everyone, he could see the guards coming. But the weight of their escape on his shoulders and decision-making made him anxious. "Don't stop once you're through the first portal, just keep going. If you get lost in there I may never find you. Do you understand?"
Vlad didn't like the idea of sending his brother through the portal first. Specter and Hanne didn't like they stood much of a chance in a fight, and Ivy... He's heard the stories but she wasn't even able to stand on her own. But he didn't have time to argue and hoped that Spec could keep them out of harms way long enough until he and Novak showed up. He nodded his head toward the others, motioning them onward. "We'll be right behind you." He glanced out the small window on the door out to the hall, as he saw a few guards making their way up the hall, he quickly motioned them onward. "Go! We'll catch up with you." Vlad didn't quite realize he was using his powers, but luckily it wasn't like they could argue at that point, they needed to go.
Just before Specter stepped through the portal, he looked back toward Novak. "If you're not with us in 5 minutes, I'll come find you!" He didn't have any more time to say anything. Part of him wanted to say good-bye, just in case they never crossed paths again. But he wouldn't let that negativity set in, nor would he jinx the moment by voicing such concerns. With no more time to wait, he ran through the portal and continued on toward the opening on the far other side.
Vlad looked over at Novak while the others disappeared. He was rusty. He knew that. After all, those fuckers kept him gagged and silent for most of his life in there. He extended his hand toward them and guided the red head to stand behind him as moved them a few steps back from the door. The few seconds that passed as he waited for the guards to burst through the doors seemed to take age. He allowed his eyes to close as he took deep breaths, in through his nose and out his mouth.
When the door opened, the cylinders shifting in the lock echoed throughout the quiet cellblock. Three guards came bursting through the doors with tasers and batons in hand. Vlad's eyes snapped open as he threw his hands out in a halting motion. "STOP!" He found himself holding his breath, waiting to see if it worked or not. When the guards didn't move, Vlad didn't allow himself to feel at ease. He held his focus, his mind straining to reach out and hold theirs. "Everyone is in their cells, nothing is out of order. Must be a technical glitch. Go turn off the surveillance cameras to try and fix it."
The guards didn't move for a long moment, standing there dumbfounded as they scratched the back of their head. Then one of them spoke up. "That was weird. Something must be wrong with the cameras. Maybe we should go reset the security system?"
"Yeah... That sounds like a good idea," the second guard responded. He then took his walkie-talkie and spoke to someone on the other end. "We're all good here. False alarm due to technical issues."
"What the f—!" a voice shouted from the walkie just before the guard shut it off.
Vlad didn't dare move as he watched and waited for them to scuffle their way out, rambling like someone just smacked them on the head with a baseball bat. Once the door was closed to the cell, he turned around to face Novak. "Let's go!"
Specter was surprised at how long the portal was. It's not like there are many books about pocket dimensions and portals. He understood why Novak warned them about wondering, the place was huge and vast... And empty. It was strange. Words can't describe what it felt like, beyond a sea of darkness and the only light guiding him forward was the opening at the other end.
When he stepped through, he began to scan the surrounding rooms and hallways, allowing his vision to pass through walls and barriers. People were littered in just about every room. No wonder Ivy never succeeded in escaping. That place was a fortress. But he didn't have time to sit around and count heads. The left hallway was temporarily unoccupied and that was good enough. [ This way, ] he said through the mental connection he could only hope Hawke still kept intact. He quickly lead them down the hall to the left, then continued to look onward, steering them through the maze of halls... Until he came to a halt before an intersection of corridors. [ Shit. ] Specter quickly opened a door to his right that opened up to a janitorial closet. He quickly motioned them inside and closed the door.
[ What is it? ] Ivy asked as she adjusted herself against Hawke.
[ They're everywhere. We're close... I can feel it. But, every direction has at least a dozen guards. And once we alert one group, the rest will surely follow. ] Spec found himself wishing Vlad was there, surprisingly enough. He knew the hot head couldn't control all of them, but he was strong. Vlad could throw a couple of them off, then help fight the rest. Specter was by no means strong but he could dodge and divert well enough, everyone knew Ivy could handle herself but she was weak... Hanne didn't look like a fighter and he had no idea about Hawke's fighting prowess. [ And we can't go farther without Novak or Vlad... We can't leave them. ]"
Ivy sighed, looking down as her mind sifted through the different possibilities. There didn't seam to be much, aside from one. She exhaled deeply, shaking her head at herself for what she was about to suggest but they didn't have the time to waste or argue. [ What if we can distract them long enough for you to find Novak and Vlad? ]
Specter's brows furrowed as he thought 'outloud', [ I mean... Yeah, that should work. But— ] His voice trailed off as he watched Ivy.
She gently pulled Hawke's arm from around her. Ivy wasn't at 100% but she was nearly there, not that she had the luxury to wait anyway. She pulled off the gloves she was wearing and handed them over to Hanne. She didn't say anything toward the blonde, simply held her gaze in a gentle warning as a way of saying the girl would need them. Then with a deep breath, Ivy began to unbutton her jumpsuit.
Spec's eyes widened. [ Woah! Woah! Ivy what in the hell are you doing!? ] It didn't take long for him to connect the dots between the idea of a distraction and Ivy removing her clothes. [ Wait, wait. There has to be other ways to distract them? ]
[ Spec, we don't have time. Go! ]
He grunted out of disapproval before he took off running through one of the walls, heading back up toward the cellblock. This time, he paid no mind to any objects in his way, instead allowing himself to remain intangible for a faster and more direct route.
Ivy made sure she stood far enough away from Hanne and Hawke as she finished unbuttoning her jumpsuit. She gave a hesitant glance toward both of them before she let the fabric fall to the ground. Even though she still had on underwear and a holey tank top, she felt utterly naked. She always wore clothes that covered as much of her skin as possible because the guards were scared of her. Now out of that she felt bare… She was self-conscious. As she stood there, more of her was bare than ever before for the others to see. Scars covered her from marks on her wrists and neck, to slashes on her back that were over a decade old. She stepped out of the jumpsuit and picked it up, balling it up in her hands. [ Can you hold this for me?... Please? ] She asked Hawke as she held the clothes out to him.
She carefully moved past them toward the door and rested her hand on the handle. [ Don't take those gloves off... And stay close to me. ] Without hesitation, Ivy opened the door, peaking her head out to make sure the coast was clear before exiting out into the hall. She quietly moved down the corridor. The moment she stepped into the intersection of hallways, guards filed out and quickly surrounded them. Ivy moved forward slightly, putting herself between the guards and the others.
"Stop right there!" one of the guards shouted toward them.
Specter arrived at the cellblock quickly, his hands rested on his knees as he tried to catch his breath. [ We... Need to go, ] he said toward Novak and Vlad as he motioned in the general direction of the others.
He was getting aggravated that no one rushed to help him get her up and Spec was about to shout out to them to help him, but a sheepish voice broke through the chaos in his mind. [ I have to help her. ]
[ Hanne, no! ] Hawke's voice rang through his head.
"Stop, don't!" Specter reached out his hand to stop her, but he wasn't fast enough. The blonde had already raised Ivy's sleeve and wrapped her hand around the unconscious girl's wrist. He sat there in silence, with his hands out expecting to catch Hanne or do... something, although he wasn't sure what. After a moment, his gaze fell to Ivy as her bruises slowly faded away going from rich purple and blue to a faded yellowish green.
[ That's enough. We have to move. ] The words came flying into Ivy's mind like plane passing overhead. It was far and distant before it came crashing in, loud and abrupt. She shot up where she lay, nearly slamming her forehead into Specter's. Her eyes fell when she felt a sensation she wasn't used to. Just as Hanne's grasp on her wrist released, Ivy pulled her arm back quickly out of impulse. Her eyes were wide and breathing heavy as her gaze darted between her wrist, Hanne's hand and her own wounds that weren't entirely healed but felt a world's difference than they did mere moments ago.
Specter let out a sigh of relief when she awoke, even if it was a bit abrupt. As she seemed to be getting her bearings, Spec took the gloves that he shoved in Ivy's pocket and as quickly as he could manage, slid them onto her hands. She looked over at him, a corner of her lip quivering slightly in a very brief smile of thanks.
"Th—" Ivy began to say toward Hanne but was cut off when Hawke quickly lowered himself beside her.
[ Are you okay? You'll have to wait until later. ] Hawke asked Hanne. He then carefully managed to pull her sleeve back down over her wrist before he slipped his arms around her. Ivy's left arm draped across his shoulders carefully while her right reached out and grabbed the discarded pair of gloves that no one picked up. Then with Hawke's help, she got to her feet. Once standing, she leaned on him for support. Although Hanne worked her magic, Ivy's head was still spinning and they didn't have the luxury of letting her rest for five minutes.
Vlad took a step backwards when Novak came at him with their hands outstretched toward his gag. He settled slightly when they did so and watched in silence as they seemed to focus. After a second or two he heard something inside the mouthpiece break before it fell off his face. "Opening an interdimensional portal into solid matter seriously compromises its structural integrity," Novak replied to his silent shock. They seemed all too impressed with themselves, their grinning stretching from ear to ear. "Now go wreak havoc."
His hand rose, rubbing his face where the guard once was. He closed his eyes momentarily as he rubbed and stretched the muscles of his mouth. Vlad almost laughed at the stubble upon his jaw, prickly to the touch. It wouldn't be a surprise to him if he looked like some sort of wolf man without the gag. He rarely got a chance to shave due to that thing being waterproof so he had to literally wear it into the showers. Whenever he behaved well enough they would give him a shave. Of course, men gave them to him with sound canceling headphones that often nicked him more than once. He went to speak, finding his vocal cords weak from little use and his voice dry. Vlad cleared his throat and tried again, "Thanks." Not something the man said often, if at all... But, this was one time he was truly thankful.
With a brief moment as Novak conjured their portal, Ivy's gloved hand reached out to grasp Hanne's shoulder. The blonde hovered cautiously around her, no doubt waiting for her to need assistance again. "Thank you," she said quietly. Ivy half expected to wake up strapped to some cot in the facility, hearing about how the rest of them escaped. She wouldn't have blamed them, and no doubt the torture they would have put her through would have made her a vegetable. Someone who needs help but can't have any skin-to-skin contact is a burden... But they helped her. Hanne, Hawke, all of them. They didn't leave her behind and if they all weren't about to die walking out of those doors, she might have cried.
Specter jumped slightly when his arm was grabbed and he was pulled toward someone. For a brief moment, his heart sank and he thought that they were caught before they even got out of the cellblock, but then he turned to be faced by Novak. He sighed in relief. "I'm going to open a portal to two floors down, a little further down the hall. I need you to go ahead in front, keep a lookout for guards. Hawke, you take the girls with you after Specter. Vlad and I will go last." He nodded his head. It made sense for him to lead, out of everyone, he could see the guards coming. But the weight of their escape on his shoulders and decision-making made him anxious. "Don't stop once you're through the first portal, just keep going. If you get lost in there I may never find you. Do you understand?"
Vlad didn't like the idea of sending his brother through the portal first. Specter and Hanne didn't like they stood much of a chance in a fight, and Ivy... He's heard the stories but she wasn't even able to stand on her own. But he didn't have time to argue and hoped that Spec could keep them out of harms way long enough until he and Novak showed up. He nodded his head toward the others, motioning them onward. "We'll be right behind you." He glanced out the small window on the door out to the hall, as he saw a few guards making their way up the hall, he quickly motioned them onward. "Go! We'll catch up with you." Vlad didn't quite realize he was using his powers, but luckily it wasn't like they could argue at that point, they needed to go.
Just before Specter stepped through the portal, he looked back toward Novak. "If you're not with us in 5 minutes, I'll come find you!" He didn't have any more time to say anything. Part of him wanted to say good-bye, just in case they never crossed paths again. But he wouldn't let that negativity set in, nor would he jinx the moment by voicing such concerns. With no more time to wait, he ran through the portal and continued on toward the opening on the far other side.
Vlad looked over at Novak while the others disappeared. He was rusty. He knew that. After all, those fuckers kept him gagged and silent for most of his life in there. He extended his hand toward them and guided the red head to stand behind him as moved them a few steps back from the door. The few seconds that passed as he waited for the guards to burst through the doors seemed to take age. He allowed his eyes to close as he took deep breaths, in through his nose and out his mouth.
When the door opened, the cylinders shifting in the lock echoed throughout the quiet cellblock. Three guards came bursting through the doors with tasers and batons in hand. Vlad's eyes snapped open as he threw his hands out in a halting motion. "STOP!" He found himself holding his breath, waiting to see if it worked or not. When the guards didn't move, Vlad didn't allow himself to feel at ease. He held his focus, his mind straining to reach out and hold theirs. "Everyone is in their cells, nothing is out of order. Must be a technical glitch. Go turn off the surveillance cameras to try and fix it."
The guards didn't move for a long moment, standing there dumbfounded as they scratched the back of their head. Then one of them spoke up. "That was weird. Something must be wrong with the cameras. Maybe we should go reset the security system?"
"Yeah... That sounds like a good idea," the second guard responded. He then took his walkie-talkie and spoke to someone on the other end. "We're all good here. False alarm due to technical issues."
"What the f—!" a voice shouted from the walkie just before the guard shut it off.
Vlad didn't dare move as he watched and waited for them to scuffle their way out, rambling like someone just smacked them on the head with a baseball bat. Once the door was closed to the cell, he turned around to face Novak. "Let's go!"
Specter was surprised at how long the portal was. It's not like there are many books about pocket dimensions and portals. He understood why Novak warned them about wondering, the place was huge and vast... And empty. It was strange. Words can't describe what it felt like, beyond a sea of darkness and the only light guiding him forward was the opening at the other end.
When he stepped through, he began to scan the surrounding rooms and hallways, allowing his vision to pass through walls and barriers. People were littered in just about every room. No wonder Ivy never succeeded in escaping. That place was a fortress. But he didn't have time to sit around and count heads. The left hallway was temporarily unoccupied and that was good enough. [ This way, ] he said through the mental connection he could only hope Hawke still kept intact. He quickly lead them down the hall to the left, then continued to look onward, steering them through the maze of halls... Until he came to a halt before an intersection of corridors. [ Shit. ] Specter quickly opened a door to his right that opened up to a janitorial closet. He quickly motioned them inside and closed the door.
[ What is it? ] Ivy asked as she adjusted herself against Hawke.
[ They're everywhere. We're close... I can feel it. But, every direction has at least a dozen guards. And once we alert one group, the rest will surely follow. ] Spec found himself wishing Vlad was there, surprisingly enough. He knew the hot head couldn't control all of them, but he was strong. Vlad could throw a couple of them off, then help fight the rest. Specter was by no means strong but he could dodge and divert well enough, everyone knew Ivy could handle herself but she was weak... Hanne didn't look like a fighter and he had no idea about Hawke's fighting prowess. [ And we can't go farther without Novak or Vlad... We can't leave them. ]"
Ivy sighed, looking down as her mind sifted through the different possibilities. There didn't seam to be much, aside from one. She exhaled deeply, shaking her head at herself for what she was about to suggest but they didn't have the time to waste or argue. [ What if we can distract them long enough for you to find Novak and Vlad? ]
Specter's brows furrowed as he thought 'outloud', [ I mean... Yeah, that should work. But— ] His voice trailed off as he watched Ivy.
She gently pulled Hawke's arm from around her. Ivy wasn't at 100% but she was nearly there, not that she had the luxury to wait anyway. She pulled off the gloves she was wearing and handed them over to Hanne. She didn't say anything toward the blonde, simply held her gaze in a gentle warning as a way of saying the girl would need them. Then with a deep breath, Ivy began to unbutton her jumpsuit.
Spec's eyes widened. [ Woah! Woah! Ivy what in the hell are you doing!? ] It didn't take long for him to connect the dots between the idea of a distraction and Ivy removing her clothes. [ Wait, wait. There has to be other ways to distract them? ]
[ Spec, we don't have time. Go! ]
He grunted out of disapproval before he took off running through one of the walls, heading back up toward the cellblock. This time, he paid no mind to any objects in his way, instead allowing himself to remain intangible for a faster and more direct route.
Ivy made sure she stood far enough away from Hanne and Hawke as she finished unbuttoning her jumpsuit. She gave a hesitant glance toward both of them before she let the fabric fall to the ground. Even though she still had on underwear and a holey tank top, she felt utterly naked. She always wore clothes that covered as much of her skin as possible because the guards were scared of her. Now out of that she felt bare… She was self-conscious. As she stood there, more of her was bare than ever before for the others to see. Scars covered her from marks on her wrists and neck, to slashes on her back that were over a decade old. She stepped out of the jumpsuit and picked it up, balling it up in her hands. [ Can you hold this for me?... Please? ] She asked Hawke as she held the clothes out to him.
She carefully moved past them toward the door and rested her hand on the handle. [ Don't take those gloves off... And stay close to me. ] Without hesitation, Ivy opened the door, peaking her head out to make sure the coast was clear before exiting out into the hall. She quietly moved down the corridor. The moment she stepped into the intersection of hallways, guards filed out and quickly surrounded them. Ivy moved forward slightly, putting herself between the guards and the others.
"Stop right there!" one of the guards shouted toward them.
Specter arrived at the cellblock quickly, his hands rested on his knees as he tried to catch his breath. [ We... Need to go, ] he said toward Novak and Vlad as he motioned in the general direction of the others.