Snippet #2233196

Timothy nodded, the answer confirmed what he had assumed. He kept any further questions quelled, seeing as his suspicions about the sorcerer was correct. He could assume the same about his other questions to a degree. He didn't have the chance to push forward anyway. The scream stole all his attention. At the very first note the soldier had completely ignored his meal, every muscle tensed as his gaze fixed upon the source of the noise. For a moment he relaxed, they were relatively safe here. If not hidden then at least they would be forewarned. Like everyone else in the room he aimed to get a glance at what ever had caused the problem. While he didn't quite hear the fearful murmurs of the victims the cause was somewhat obvious as the dripping corpse was held up for general view. Within moments Timothy had caught on to what happened, despite the syrup dripping from its body. The creature was quite obviously Clive. There was a small comfort in that Clive mentioned that he could return, as had already been proved. Like most people in the room he inadvertently gagged at the though of consuming pieces of the mutilated corpse, despite not having actually acquired any fruit salad. He mind started running though, surely someone or the robots would have noticed when a dead cat ends up in a meal.

His gaze drifted upwards, searching for some entrance to the room from which the body could have originated from. The search was quick when no obvious fall point could be located. Instead for a moment the fluttering of black creatures drew his attention the wind. Black birds, ravens. Their presence raised the hairs on the back of the boy's neck. He wasn't superstitious but such omens were still generally connected to events. After all, only a few nights before did the another set of omens culminated in suitable horrors. He couldn't pass it off lightly, not with the insubstantial feeling he got from them. In the stunned silence the fleeting goodbye cry of the avians was lost. Although the low voices nearby stood out like PA announcements. Timothy shot a dark look at Viktor. He could make light of the situation, in other occasions it might have been welcomed. In this case Timothy thought the Eastern European could have kept the thought to himself.

The words from the girls, or more accurately Callen's words and Anna's intial silence, brought his attention over to the other side of the table. The damaged young woman's attention wasn't on the scene acted out across the room, instead her eyes were fixed on her plate. Timothy was too slow to recognise her eyes glazing slightly and the her quiet words. "Kid." He called across to Theo, still not knowing the boy's name. The call wasn't loud but insistent enough to cut through most chatter. Too little, too late. The boy tried but he missed the chance to halt her descent as well. Timothy almost winced at the awful sound of her contact with the floor. He too felt like rushing across the table to check but it was tempered by common sense. Again he frowned at Viktor's actions. Timothy was confident that their leader would be alright but to prevent Callen from going to her best friend's side was too cold. The young man moved around the table to Theo's side. He was glad to hear the concern in the boy's voice. He may be rude but they were still on the same side.

"She should be alright." Timothy agreed with Viktor and offered to the newcomer as comfort. Even though there was control and concern in the voice he found himself hoping earnestly that he was right. He didn't show it on the outside but something inside him had dropped with Anna's fall. He was shaken far more than by Clive's corpse. She had seen what she had been through, how tough she was and how dependable. Yet she couldn't cope with this. Timothy felt like he had overestimated her and guilty of the expectations he had. She was only human, like the rest of them. He can't confront his nightmares and he couldn't expect so much from her.

Again the soldier felt the tingle on his neck. A sixth sense telling him that he isn't safe, that they weren't safe. He frowned and looked around, yet he couldn't see anything untoward. For a moment his gazed settled on Viktor but moved on, returning to the problem at hand. "It might help if we move her somewhere more comfortable." He suggested to Theo. He made no effort to reach out to Anna and physically check her condition. Doing so might have given away the small tingling in his fingers, currently clentched into fists. The only sign how vulnerable and unnerved he felt at this very moment.