A hand landed on Hanne's shoulder and she jumped, looking up into Ivy's dark eyes. Maybe she needed more help - what if Hanne's first effort wasn't enough? But no. "Thank you." Hanne gaped, blinked, unsure how to respond. "You're - welcome." She would have said something more, but a blue glow caught her eye.
It was Novak's portal. Initially just a blue outline in midair, as she watched the outlined space rippled, then twisted abruptly and tore itself open. Beyond it was pure darkness, punctuated only by the occasional undulation, as if she was staring into an endless dark water. A flicker of fear zipped through Hanne, goosebumps dotting her arms, and she drew back. But it wasn't like she had a choice.
"Go! We'll catch up with you." The need to go, move, come on Hanne lodged itself firmly in her mind, and to her dismay she found herself taking a step forward, and then another, moving to Ivy's other side just in case she needed Hanne's help.
The dark was all-encompassing. The moment she stepped through Hanne grew disoriented, and if the warmth of Ivy's body hadn't been pressed against her arm she might have let go and become lost altogether. Something brushed past her, footsteps echoing around them, and she suppressed a scream. The figure moved towards the pinprick of light in the distance, and as they drew closer she realised it was just Specter, moving on so he could scout ahead. She hurried after him, desperate to leave the portal-world behind.
Hawke had been through Novak's portals only once, to test the limits of his abilities, and he'd never forgotten the awful sensation of passing through so much space in such a short period of time. He abruptly sensed Novak and Vlad pulling away, the mental connection snapping like a rubber band stretched thin. At least his proximity to Specter, Ivy, and Hanne meant that the four of them were still in contact, but he didn't like the idea of two of the group missing and unreachable.
Still supporting Ivy, he led her after Specter, taking only a moment to ensure that Hanne was still with them before passing through the exit portal back into the facility. [ This way. ] Only the younger boy had some knowledge on the best way for them to proceed, and as much as Hawke disliked letting him lead - it should have been him in front, him that took the brunt of any assault they might face - he was put to better use helping Ivy along.
Having focused his energy on supporting Ivy, Hawke let Specter lead them, following blindly behind him until he stopped abruptly. [ Shit. ] Hawke's heart almost stopped on the spot, skipping a beat and then thudding so loudly in his chest he thought the guards might it and come running.
[ What? ] he asked, perhaps a little more sharply than he should have. Specter didn't answer instantly, instead pulling open a door and ushering them in. It wasn't a tight space, but four people squeezing in at once was a little chaotic, and as Hawke tried to manoeuvre himself to allow the girls to fit while continuing to support Ivy he found himself uncomfortably close to her, pressed against her body for a moment. [ Sorry. ] He placed a hand on her shoulder, shifting himself closer to the door to give her space.
[ 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. ]
Hanne sucked in a breath, feeling her fists clench by her sides. This was the furthest she'd ever deviated from the norm, and if it wasn't clear before it was definitely clear now that there was no turning back for her. To have come to close, and then be recaptured... She might as well be dead, if the escape attempt failed.
[ What if we can distract them long enough for you to find Novak and Vlad? ] Ivy's voice cut through Hanne's panicked thoughts, and she looked up. The taller girl's eyes were blazing like she'd had an idea, one that could at least buy them some time to advance further towards the exit. Hanne was almost afraid to find out what it was.
Ivy extricated herself from Hawke's hold, and removed her gloves, holding them out to Hanne. Without thinking, she accepted them, balling them up loosely in one hand, still transfixed by Ivy's gaze. She'd seen the other's determination before when escaping, but now that she was doing it for the sake of their group she seemed different - like she wasn't afraid to lose anything. And what did they have to lose? Only their lives, shrunk to this measure, worth measured only in their capabilities. And it was obvious that it was a life none of them were willing to contend with any longer. She offered Ivy a nod in response, as good as any a confirmation that she understood and had her back.
Hawke only realised what Ivy's idea was when Specter started yelling, and on the heels of that realisation came another - he really, really didn't like her idea. [ Wait, wait. There has to be other ways to distract them? ] Hawke privately agreed, but... it seemed like the only way out. As much as he hated to admit it.
[ Spec, we don't have time. Go! ]
[ Be safe, ] Hawke thought after him, but he was off like a shot, and Hawke could only stare at the spot where he'd disappeared into the wall. Ivy caught his attention again, and before he could really stop himself he had turned to her, barely glimpsing the numerous scars that crisscrossed her skin before averting his gaze. Necessary as it was under the circumstances, the whole situation made him highly uncomfortable. He kept his eyes fixed on the door, resolutely looking away until she held her clothes out to him. [ Can you hold this for me?... Please? ] He turned to her then, looking down into her face as he took the jumpsuit. [ Ivy... I hope you know what you're doing. ]
Looking at the gloves still balled up in her hands, Hanne came to a realisation. If she could do it before, she could it again. Before Ivy could open the door she shoved the gloves into Hawke's free hand. [ Keep these on, you'll need them. Let me go in front of you. ] Hawke pursed his lips, clearly unwilling, but Hanne's intention was obvious, and logical. She was the only one who could make any contact with Ivy, and if the girl needed healing - well, wasn't that what she was built to do?
They headed towards the intersection together, Ivy in the lead, Hanne following behind her with one arm outstretched, almost close enough to touch Ivy's bare skin. Hawke followed directly behind, his gut twisting itself into knots. Being personally privy to the tension in the air was not helping at all. He felt like he might throw up, and not just because of the certain death he was staring down - if they failed it would be his fault for putting them all in the line of danger. The throbbing in his head grew, but he pushed it down for the time being, focused on the task at hand.
"Stop right there!"
The three of them pulled up short, surrounded by guards. Behind her, Hanne sensed Hawke tensing up. The energy that began from him and rippled outward was almost visible, it was that strong, and as it expanded in a radius from where the three of them were clustered Hanne saw a couple of them wince, their hands trembling. She had no doubt that Hawke was putting all the energy he could muster into affecting the group of guards mentally, and it was definitely taking a toll on them. She eyed their stun guns uneasily. If they started getting violent...
As if reading her mind, a guard standing behind Hawke lunged forward, his stun gun extended and buzzing violently. He dodged just in time, leaving Hanne open. The weapon, carried by the guard's momentum, was extended towards her face, and without thinking she reached out, grabbing his exposed wrist right before the prongs made contact with her skin and fried her skin off. The anger and fear that had been writhing beneath the surface ever since she stepped out of that damned cell finally boiled over, and as she stood there staring the guard down her fingertips began to grow warm. A splotch of discolouration appeared on the guard's skin, on his wrist just below Hanne's grasp, and as Hawke watched in fascinated horror more similar spots appeared all at once, swelling and reddening to an angry crimson. The guard hardly seemed aware of what was happening to his skin, until one of the lesions formed on his eyeball and, judging by the sudden red growing just behind the surface of his eyeball, exploded. His legs folded beneath him and he crumpled to the ground, unconscious.
The moment the stun gun stopped buzzing Hanne let go, drawing her hand back suddenly as if burned. She knew what she'd just done, but even after it happened it seemed hard to believe that she was capable of something so violent and terrible to witness. The sound of the guard hitting the floor seemed to jolt the others back into action, and with a roar a few lurched forward, weapons at the ready.
Back in the cell block, Novak watched apprehensively, standing behind Vlad to let him deal with the guards. The portal behind them wavered, its depths beckoning impatiently, but Novak stood firm, resisting the urge to duck in and run away. Only when they were certain that the guards had gone, only when the door had clicked closed, did they turn back to the portal, getting ready to pull Vlad through. "Let's go!'
A person hurrying into the cell block through the wall made them shriek and jump back, the portal shrinking abruptly and almost disappearing as their focus was pulled away from it. Only Specter - but he shouldn't have been there with them. Novak was frozen for a moment, worst case scenarios racing through their mind in that split second that they stood there, staring at Specter. [ We... Need to go. ]
Go. The word jolted Novak into action, and they pulled the portal wide open again, seizing Vlad's hand. "Come on." The three of them leapt through together, feet barely touching the ground beyond before they were on solid concrete again. And judging by the pain that slammed into Novak's skull the moment they stepped out, no doubt Hawke's work, they were right around the corner from the other three. Static exploded before Novak's eyes, practically blinding them, and if they hadn't already been well aware of Hawke's presence they might not have been able to stagger the few steps towards him. Still gripping Vlad's hand, too disoriented to think beyond get to Hawke, they moved around the corner. "Hawke! It's us!"
They had barely a moment to register the pain vanishing abruptly, and Hawke's startled face as he turned back towards them, before the guards rushed both groups.
It was Novak's portal. Initially just a blue outline in midair, as she watched the outlined space rippled, then twisted abruptly and tore itself open. Beyond it was pure darkness, punctuated only by the occasional undulation, as if she was staring into an endless dark water. A flicker of fear zipped through Hanne, goosebumps dotting her arms, and she drew back. But it wasn't like she had a choice.
"Go! We'll catch up with you." The need to go, move, come on Hanne lodged itself firmly in her mind, and to her dismay she found herself taking a step forward, and then another, moving to Ivy's other side just in case she needed Hanne's help.
The dark was all-encompassing. The moment she stepped through Hanne grew disoriented, and if the warmth of Ivy's body hadn't been pressed against her arm she might have let go and become lost altogether. Something brushed past her, footsteps echoing around them, and she suppressed a scream. The figure moved towards the pinprick of light in the distance, and as they drew closer she realised it was just Specter, moving on so he could scout ahead. She hurried after him, desperate to leave the portal-world behind.
Hawke had been through Novak's portals only once, to test the limits of his abilities, and he'd never forgotten the awful sensation of passing through so much space in such a short period of time. He abruptly sensed Novak and Vlad pulling away, the mental connection snapping like a rubber band stretched thin. At least his proximity to Specter, Ivy, and Hanne meant that the four of them were still in contact, but he didn't like the idea of two of the group missing and unreachable.
Still supporting Ivy, he led her after Specter, taking only a moment to ensure that Hanne was still with them before passing through the exit portal back into the facility. [ This way. ] Only the younger boy had some knowledge on the best way for them to proceed, and as much as Hawke disliked letting him lead - it should have been him in front, him that took the brunt of any assault they might face - he was put to better use helping Ivy along.
Having focused his energy on supporting Ivy, Hawke let Specter lead them, following blindly behind him until he stopped abruptly. [ Shit. ] Hawke's heart almost stopped on the spot, skipping a beat and then thudding so loudly in his chest he thought the guards might it and come running.
[ What? ] he asked, perhaps a little more sharply than he should have. Specter didn't answer instantly, instead pulling open a door and ushering them in. It wasn't a tight space, but four people squeezing in at once was a little chaotic, and as Hawke tried to manoeuvre himself to allow the girls to fit while continuing to support Ivy he found himself uncomfortably close to her, pressed against her body for a moment. [ Sorry. ] He placed a hand on her shoulder, shifting himself closer to the door to give her space.
[ 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. ]
Hanne sucked in a breath, feeling her fists clench by her sides. This was the furthest she'd ever deviated from the norm, and if it wasn't clear before it was definitely clear now that there was no turning back for her. To have come to close, and then be recaptured... She might as well be dead, if the escape attempt failed.
[ What if we can distract them long enough for you to find Novak and Vlad? ] Ivy's voice cut through Hanne's panicked thoughts, and she looked up. The taller girl's eyes were blazing like she'd had an idea, one that could at least buy them some time to advance further towards the exit. Hanne was almost afraid to find out what it was.
Ivy extricated herself from Hawke's hold, and removed her gloves, holding them out to Hanne. Without thinking, she accepted them, balling them up loosely in one hand, still transfixed by Ivy's gaze. She'd seen the other's determination before when escaping, but now that she was doing it for the sake of their group she seemed different - like she wasn't afraid to lose anything. And what did they have to lose? Only their lives, shrunk to this measure, worth measured only in their capabilities. And it was obvious that it was a life none of them were willing to contend with any longer. She offered Ivy a nod in response, as good as any a confirmation that she understood and had her back.
Hawke only realised what Ivy's idea was when Specter started yelling, and on the heels of that realisation came another - he really, really didn't like her idea. [ Wait, wait. There has to be other ways to distract them? ] Hawke privately agreed, but... it seemed like the only way out. As much as he hated to admit it.
[ Spec, we don't have time. Go! ]
[ Be safe, ] Hawke thought after him, but he was off like a shot, and Hawke could only stare at the spot where he'd disappeared into the wall. Ivy caught his attention again, and before he could really stop himself he had turned to her, barely glimpsing the numerous scars that crisscrossed her skin before averting his gaze. Necessary as it was under the circumstances, the whole situation made him highly uncomfortable. He kept his eyes fixed on the door, resolutely looking away until she held her clothes out to him. [ Can you hold this for me?... Please? ] He turned to her then, looking down into her face as he took the jumpsuit. [ Ivy... I hope you know what you're doing. ]
Looking at the gloves still balled up in her hands, Hanne came to a realisation. If she could do it before, she could it again. Before Ivy could open the door she shoved the gloves into Hawke's free hand. [ Keep these on, you'll need them. Let me go in front of you. ] Hawke pursed his lips, clearly unwilling, but Hanne's intention was obvious, and logical. She was the only one who could make any contact with Ivy, and if the girl needed healing - well, wasn't that what she was built to do?
They headed towards the intersection together, Ivy in the lead, Hanne following behind her with one arm outstretched, almost close enough to touch Ivy's bare skin. Hawke followed directly behind, his gut twisting itself into knots. Being personally privy to the tension in the air was not helping at all. He felt like he might throw up, and not just because of the certain death he was staring down - if they failed it would be his fault for putting them all in the line of danger. The throbbing in his head grew, but he pushed it down for the time being, focused on the task at hand.
"Stop right there!"
The three of them pulled up short, surrounded by guards. Behind her, Hanne sensed Hawke tensing up. The energy that began from him and rippled outward was almost visible, it was that strong, and as it expanded in a radius from where the three of them were clustered Hanne saw a couple of them wince, their hands trembling. She had no doubt that Hawke was putting all the energy he could muster into affecting the group of guards mentally, and it was definitely taking a toll on them. She eyed their stun guns uneasily. If they started getting violent...
As if reading her mind, a guard standing behind Hawke lunged forward, his stun gun extended and buzzing violently. He dodged just in time, leaving Hanne open. The weapon, carried by the guard's momentum, was extended towards her face, and without thinking she reached out, grabbing his exposed wrist right before the prongs made contact with her skin and fried her skin off. The anger and fear that had been writhing beneath the surface ever since she stepped out of that damned cell finally boiled over, and as she stood there staring the guard down her fingertips began to grow warm. A splotch of discolouration appeared on the guard's skin, on his wrist just below Hanne's grasp, and as Hawke watched in fascinated horror more similar spots appeared all at once, swelling and reddening to an angry crimson. The guard hardly seemed aware of what was happening to his skin, until one of the lesions formed on his eyeball and, judging by the sudden red growing just behind the surface of his eyeball, exploded. His legs folded beneath him and he crumpled to the ground, unconscious.
The moment the stun gun stopped buzzing Hanne let go, drawing her hand back suddenly as if burned. She knew what she'd just done, but even after it happened it seemed hard to believe that she was capable of something so violent and terrible to witness. The sound of the guard hitting the floor seemed to jolt the others back into action, and with a roar a few lurched forward, weapons at the ready.
Back in the cell block, Novak watched apprehensively, standing behind Vlad to let him deal with the guards. The portal behind them wavered, its depths beckoning impatiently, but Novak stood firm, resisting the urge to duck in and run away. Only when they were certain that the guards had gone, only when the door had clicked closed, did they turn back to the portal, getting ready to pull Vlad through. "Let's go!'
A person hurrying into the cell block through the wall made them shriek and jump back, the portal shrinking abruptly and almost disappearing as their focus was pulled away from it. Only Specter - but he shouldn't have been there with them. Novak was frozen for a moment, worst case scenarios racing through their mind in that split second that they stood there, staring at Specter. [ We... Need to go. ]
Go. The word jolted Novak into action, and they pulled the portal wide open again, seizing Vlad's hand. "Come on." The three of them leapt through together, feet barely touching the ground beyond before they were on solid concrete again. And judging by the pain that slammed into Novak's skull the moment they stepped out, no doubt Hawke's work, they were right around the corner from the other three. Static exploded before Novak's eyes, practically blinding them, and if they hadn't already been well aware of Hawke's presence they might not have been able to stagger the few steps towards him. Still gripping Vlad's hand, too disoriented to think beyond get to Hawke, they moved around the corner. "Hawke! It's us!"
They had barely a moment to register the pain vanishing abruptly, and Hawke's startled face as he turned back towards them, before the guards rushed both groups.